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TREATY  OF  BIG  TREE 


ROBERT  MORRIS 


AND  AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  CELE* 
BRATION  OF  THE  ONE  HUNDREDTH 
ANNIVERSARY  OF  THE  MAKING  [OF 
THE  TREATY,  HELD  AT  GENESEO, 
N,  Y,,  SEPTEMBER  THE  FIFTEENTH 
EIGHTEEN  HUNDRED  NINETYxSEVEN 


X 


Published  by  the 
Livingston  County 
Historical  Society 


.  O.  BT7NNELL,   PRINTER, 
DANSVILLE,  X.   Y. 


H7LU 


INTRODUCTION 


1S63715 


INTRODUCTION 

^\  T  THE  annual  meeting  of  the  Livingston  County  Historical 
104  Society,  held  in  1896,  it  was  determined  that  the  one  hundredth 
j  A  anniversary  of  the  meeting  of  the  Treaty  of  Big  Tree  should  be 
/  celebrated  in  some  appropriate  manner  under  the  auspices  of  the 
society.  Accordingly,  at  the  following  annual  meeting  a  committee 
was  appointed  to  have  the  entire  matter  in  charge  ;  such  committee 
consisted  of  William  A.  Brodie,  Chairman ;  E.  Fred  Youngs,  George  B. 
Adams  and  Charles  D.  Newton,  of  Geneseo  ;  Asael  O.  Bunnell  of  Dans- 
ville;  Chauncey  K.  Sanders  of  Nunda ;  S.  Edward  Hitchcock  of 
Conesus ;  and  the  president-elect,  William  A.  Wadsworth,  and  the 
secretary-elect,  Lockwood  R.  Doty,  ex-officio. 

On  the  15th  day  of  September,  1897,  the  anniversary  ceremonies 
took  place  at  Geneseo.  A  large  number  of  guests  representing  other 
Historical  Societies  in  the  State,  and  others,  were  present,  including 
Mr.  Gouverneur  Morris,  the  eldest  male  descendant  and  great  grandson 
of  Robert  Morris,  and  Mr.  A.  Sim  Logan  and  Mr.  Andrew  John,  mem- 
bers of  the  Seneca  Nation  of  Indians,  representing  the  contracting  par- 
ties to  the  treaty. 

A  short  business  meeting  was  held  at  the  society's  log  cabin,  pre- 
sided over  by  the  vice-president,  S.  E.  Hitchcock,  in  the  absence  of  the 
President,  who  was  detained  in  a  western  state  by  illness,  followed  by 
an  informal  reception  there.  At  1:30  o'clock  a  visit  was  made  in  car- 
riages to  the  site  of  the  Council  House  and  the  Headquarters  of  the 
Treaty  Commissioners.  At  2:30  o'clock  exercises  were  held  in  the 
spacious  chapel  of  the  Normal  School  building,  which  had  been  cour- 
teously tendered  to  the  society  by  the  Principal  and  Local  Board. 
These  exercises  consisted  of  choral  and  orchestral  music  rendered  by 
students  of  the  Normal  School  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  W.  W.  Kil- 
lip  of  Geneseo;  Prayer  by  Rev.  J.  E.  Kittredge,  D.  D.,  of  Geneseo; 
address  by  the  Chairman  of  the  Committee,  W.  A.  Brodie ;  Historical 
Address  by  John  S.  Minard,  of  Fillmore,  N.  Y.,  and  presentation  of 
various  Historical  Documents  by  Dr.  George  Rogers  Howell,  Archivist 
of  New  York  State  Library,  who  also  presented  to  the  society,  on 
behalf  of  Mr.  Gouverneur  Morris,  a  photographic  copy  of  Rembrandt 
Peale's  portrait  of  Robert  Morris. 

A  banquet  was  spread  for  guests  of  the  society,  numbering  about 
one  hundred,  in  the  gymnasium  of  the  Normal  School  building  at 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  8 

six  o'clock ;  responses  to  toasts  proposed  in  a  felicitous  man- 
ner by  Vice-President  Hitchcock,  were  made  by  Col.  John  R. 
Strang  of  Geneseo ;  Hon.  Gouverneur  Morris  of  Detroit ;  Hon.  Wallace 
Bruce,  Mr.  A.  Sim  Logan  and  Mr.  Andrew  John  of  Versailles,  N.  Y. 

Exercises  were  held  in  the  evening  at  the  Normal  Chapel,  consist- 
ing of  music,  an  address  by  Hon.  Wallace  Bruce  on  the  subject  "A 
Great  Century,"  and  a  short  speech  by  Mr.  A.  Sim  Logan. 

The  committee  were  assured  by  all  who  attended  the  celebration 
that  it  was  entirely  successful  and  most  appropriately  conducted. 

It  is  sought  in  the  following  pages  to  preserve  the  history  of  this 
most  important  treaty  and  the  incidents  attending  this  celebration  of 
its  one  hundredth  anniversary.  Maps,  portraits,  papers  and  corres- 
pondence have  been  added  to  enhance  its  historical  as  well  as  general 
interest  so  far  as  practicable.  The  address  of  Mr.  William  H.  Samson 
of  Rochester,  delivered  before  the  Society  in  1894,  was  the  first  compre- 
hensive and  completely  accurate  account  of  the  Treaty  and  the  nego- 
tiations leading  up  to  it,  and  is  reproduced  entire.  I  wish  to  express 
my  obligations  to  Hon.  William  P.  Letchworth,  Mr.  Howard  L.  Osgood 
and  Mr.  William  H.  Samson  for  special  aid  in  collecting  the  matter 
here  presented,  which  is  offered  to  the  public  in  the  hope  that  it  will 
redound  in  some  measure  to  the  credit  of  the  Livingston  County  His- 
torical Society. 

LOCKWOOD  R.  DOTY,  Secretary. 


AFTERNOON  MEETING 


PRAYER  BY 

REV,  J,  E  KITTREDGE,  D,  D, 

f\  LMIGHTY  GOD,  our  Heavenly  Father,  thou  art  the  God  of 

1^1     the  years  and  of  the  centuries.    Thou  art  from  everlasting 

j     *     to    everlasting.     We    adore    thee  reverently;    we    worship 

/  thee  heartily,  thou  our  Creator,   Benefactor,  Redeemer ;  we 

offer  thee  at  this  hour,  with  the  acknowledgement  of  individual  un- 

worthiness,  our  humble,  grateful  praise. 

Accept,  we  beseech  thee,  our  hearty  thanks  for  life,  with  all  its 
meaning  and  precious  possibilities,  its  blessed  conditions  and  environ- 
ment, the  goodly  heritage  that  is  ours  in  this  garden  of  the  Lord 
through  the  compact  we  recognize  of  a  hundred  years  ago  ;  for  mater- 
ial comfort,  social  amenities,  and  educational  and  religious  gifts;  for 
freedom  of  thought  and  action ;  for  incentives  to  all  highest  things ; 
for  opportunities  of  good  and  the  promise  of  life  everlasting  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 

We  bless  thee  for  an  historic  past,  for  an  ampler  present,  for  a 
future  so  grand  in  promise.  We  thank  thee  for  the  wonderful  century 
we  celebrate  today.  We  thank  thee  for  the  good  men  and  women  who 
came  hither  years  ago — choice  seed  of  thy  selecting  ;  for  their  Christian 
enterprise  ;  for  the  homes  they  built,  the  churches  and  schools  they 
founded,  the  courts  of  justice  they  established ;  for  all  forces  that 
touch  and  guard  the  highest  interests  of  man. 

We  thank  thee  for  human  brotherhood,  O  thou  Our  Father.  Thou 
hast  made  of  one  blood  all  the  peoples  of  the  earth.  May  we  bear  this 
kinship  well  in  mind.  May  thy  blessing  rest  on  those  who  represent 
here  the  earlier  and  the  earliest  occupants  of  this  soil.  Bless  this  great 
commonwealth  and  the  broad  land  we  love.  Extend  thy  grace  over 
all  the  earth. 

Crown  with  thy  favor  this  special  occasion.  Instruct  us  by  its 
historic  memorials.  Be  with  those  who  present  them  to  us,  those  who 
speak  and  those  who  listen.  Bless  those  whose  memory  reaches  back 
toward  the  opening  of  the  century.  Bless  those  whose  heart  is  in  the 
living  present  and  whose  eye  is  toward  the  future.  May  thy  benedic- 
tion be  upon  us  all.  And  this  we  ask  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 
Amen. 


HISTORICAL  ADDRESS 
BY  HON.  JOHN  S,  MINARD 

f^^\  EASURED  by    its  effect  upon  the  material  prosperity  of 

I        \      Western  New  York,  the  treaty  of  Big  Tree,  which  was 

I    A    I     concluded  100  years  ago  today,  stands  second  to  no  other 

p  \    event  in  its  whole  history;  for  upon  that  occasion  was 

extinguished  the  title  of  the  Seneca  nation  of  Indians  to  all  the  territory, 

the  right  of  pre-emption  to  which  the  state  of  New  York  had  ceded  to 

the  commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,  which  lies  west  of  what  is  known 

as  the  Phelps  and  Gorham  purchase,  with  the  exception  of  several 

reservations,  unimportant  in  extent,  in  the  immediate  neighborhood 

of  their  principal  villages. 

With  commendable  propriety,  therefore,  the  Livingston  County 
Historical  Society  has  provided  for  a  proper  commemoration  of  the 
event,  and  we  are  assembled  today  within  sight  and  hearing  distance  of 
the  scene  of  the  treaty,  for  the  purpose  of  celebrating  with  exercises 
becoming  the  character  of  that  event,  the  centennial  anniversary  of 
that  important  preparatory  step  toward  the  appropriation  and  settle- 
ment by  the  whites,  of  the  territory  treated  for,  and  which  made  an 
occasion  like  this  a  possibility. 

In  treating  the  subject  assigned  to  me,  I  will  consider  briefly,  the 
territory  which  was  the  subject  of  negotiation ;  notice  some  of  the 
early  explorers  and  pioneers;  consider  the  causes  which  led  to  the 
transaction ;  sketch  some  of  the  leading  characters  who  took  part  in 
the  business  ;  give  a  synopsis  of  the  proceedings ;  and  then  consider 
the  effect  of  the  treaty  in  stimulating  settlements  and  inaugurating 
improvements. 

One  hundred  years  ago  the  territory  which  was  treated  for  at  the 
council  fire  of  Big  Tree,  presented  a  decidedly  primitive  condition  of 
forest ;  of  vast  extent,  of  trees  innumerable,  of  shrubs  of  many  kinds, 
of  herbage  in  endless  variety ;  broken  only  by  occasional  open  flats 
along  the  rivers  and  larger  streams,  which  were  tilled  by  the  Indian 
women,  and  yielded  bounteous  crops  of  corn,  beans,  squashes  and  other 
vegetables,  when  only  slightly  stirred  by  their  rude  instruments  of 
husbandry.  It  was  a  land  of  lofty  summits,  and  lovely  and  reposeful 
valleys  and  lowlands ;  of  silvery  lakes,  gushing  springs,  gurgling  rills, 
babbling  brooks,  winding  streams,  foaming  cataracts  and  beautiful 
cascades.  This  wilderness  was  thickly  peopled  with  deer,  bears, 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  14 

wolves,  panthers,  beavers  and  other  animals,  and  the  lakes  and  streams 
were  fairly  alive  with  fish  of  many  kinds.  A  sparse  population  of 
Seneca  Indians,  the  most  powerful  and  warlike  of  that  famous  confed- 
eracy of  the  Six  Nations,  the  League  of  the  Iroquois,  which  has  chal- 
lenged the  admiration  of  historians,  and  won  for  its  people  the  proud 
distinction  of  "Romans  of  the  West,"  inhabited  the  valleys  of  the  Gen- 
esee  and  Allegheny  rivers,  and  Cattaraugus,  Tonawanda  and  Buffalo 
creeks,  along  the  courses  of  which  streams  they  established  their  prin- 
cipal villages.  Within  its  limit  was  situated  the  old  chief  town  of 
Ga-o-ya-de-o  (Caneadea),  which  for  years  was  the  western  door  of  the 
long  house  of  the  Iroquois,  and  the  beautiful  flats  along  the  Genesee 
were  said  to  have  been  the  terrestrial  paradise  of  the  Senecas.  La  Salle 
and  Hennepin  in  1679  had  coasted  along  the  southern  shore  of  Lake 
Ontario,  gazed  with  awe  and  admiration  upon  Niagara  Falls,  con- 
structed the  Griffin,  and  launched  the  first  sail  boat  on  the  waters  of 
Lake  Erie.  In  1682  La  Salle  had  discovered  Chautauqua  lake,  and 
sixty-seven  years  later  De  Celoron  had  recorded  its  name. 

In  the  autumn  of  1700  Colonel  Homer  with  a  few  attendants,  made 
his  way  up  the  Genesee  to  a  point  near  Belvidere,  thence  to  the  famous 
oil  spring  near  Cuba,  and  thence  on  to  the  Allegheny  and  Ohio  ;  and 
in  1720  Charlevoix,  coasting  along  the  southern  shore  of  Ontario,  sent 
his  lieutenant,  Chabert  Joncaire,  over  the  same  route  pursued  by  Colo- 
nel Romer.  At  the  time  of  the  treaty,  Lemuel  B.  Jennings,  Captain 
Nobles  and  James  and  William  Wadsworth  had  settled  at  this  place  ; 
Ebenezer  Allen  had  commenced  operations  in  Mt.  Morris ;  Horatio  and 
John  H.  Jones  in  Leicester ;  Buffalo  had  only  four  or  five  houses ;  Na- 
thaniel Dyke  had  made  a  beginning  along  the  line  between  Wellsville 
and  Andover,  and  Major  Moses  Van  Campen,  the  famous  scout  and 
Indian  fighter  of  the  Revolution,  Rev.  Andrew  Gray,  and  the  McHen- 
rys  had  founded  homes  in  Almond.  Over  the  possession  of  this  won- 
derful region  had  arisen,  way  back  in  the  times  of  British  dependency, 
a  dispute  between  the  colonies  of  New  York  and  Massachusetts.  Mas- 
sachusetts claimed  it  under  a  grant  from  King  James  I.  to  the  Plymouth 
Company,  bearing  date  Nov.  3,  1620,  and  New  York  laid  claim  to  the 
same  territory,  by  virtue  of  a  grant  from  Charles  II.  to  the  Duke  of 
York,  dated  March  12,  1664,  and  the  voluntary  submission  of  the  Six 
Nations  to  the  crown  in  1684.  This  contention,  all  owing  to  faulty  and 
overlapping  property  descriptions  in  the  grants,  was  dropped  during  the 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  15 

period  of  the  war  only  to  be  resumed  after  the  restoration  of  peace,  and 
continued  till  December  16,  1786,  when  the  states,  which  in  the  new  or- 
der of  things  had  succeeded  the  colonies,  had  the  good  sense  to  settle 
the  matter  by  commissioners  appointed  for  the  purpose,  New  York 
retaining  the  sovereignty,  and  ceding  to  Massachusetts  the  right  to  pur- 
chase the  title  of  the  Indians,  in  other  words,  the  right  of  pre-emption. 

So  many  years  having  been  spent  in  the  controversey,  both  states 
had  become  tired  of  it  and  Massachusetts  was  anxious  to  avail  herself 
of  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  her  rights.  The  depressed  condition  in 
which  the  states  were  left  at  the  close  of  the  war  had  begun  to  wear 
away,  the  population  of  the  seaboard  districts  had  become  somewhat 
crowded,  indeed  in  some  places  actually  congested,  and  many  faces 
were  turned  interior- ward,  in  quest  of  new  homes.  As  a  result,  the 
spirit  of  speculation  was  aroused,  and  capitalists  turned  their  attention 
to  investments  in  land.  Among  these  speculators  were  Oliver  Phelps 
and  Nathaniel  G-orham,  who  soon  commenced  negotiations  with  Massa- 
chusetts, for  the  purchase  of  her  right  to  pre-emption.  The  negotia- 
tion was  successful,  the  contract  bearing  date  March  31,  1788,  giving 
the  consideration  and  terms  of  payment,  to  quote  the  instrument,  as 
"three  hundred  thousand  pounds,  in  consolidated  securities  of  this 
commonwealth,  or  two  thousand  pounds  specie,  together  with  two 
hundred  and  ninety  thousand  pounds  in  like  securities,  Messrs.  Phelps 
and  Gorham  being  required  to  give  security  for  the  payment  of  the 
same,  "one-third  in  one  year,  one-third  in  two  years,  and  one-third  in 
three  years." 

Messrs.  Phelps  and  Gorham  were  anxious  to  make  an  early  pur- 
chase of  the  Indian  title,  and  thus  be  enabled  to  dispose  of  their  lands, 
or  a  part  at  least,  in  time  to  apply  the  effects  upon  their  contract  with 
Massachusetts,  and  hustled  things  with  such  vigor  and  celerity,  that 
on  the  8th  of  July,  1788,  at  Buffalo  Creek,  was  concluded  a  treaty,  by 
which  the  sale  of  all  the  lands  of  the  Indians  east  of  a  boundary  which 
to  quote  the  conveyance,  was:  "A  meridian  which  will  pass  through 
that  corner  or  point  of  land,  made  by  the  confluence  of  the  Shanahas- 
gwaikon  creek,  so-called  (Canaseraga) ,  with  the  waters  of  the  Genesee 
river  ;  thence  running  north  along  said  meridian  to  the  corner  or  point 
last  mentioned  ;  thence  northwardly  along  the  waters  of  the  said  Gen- 
esee river  to  a  point  two  miles  north  of  Shanawagerus  village,  so-called 
(Canawaugus);  thence  running  in  a  direction  due  west,  twelve  miles  ; 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  16 

thence  running  in  a  direction  northwardly,  so  as  to  be  twelve  miles 
distant  from  the  most  westward  bends  of  the  said  Genesee  river,  to 
the  shore  of  the  Ontario  lake,"  and  about  two  and  one-half  million 
acres  were  embraced  in  the  tract.  The  consideration  was  £2,100  and 
an  annuity  of  $500. 

The  legislature  of  Massachusetts  on  the  21st  of  November,  1788, 
passed  an  act,  vesting  the  title  to  this  land  in  Messrs.  Phelps  and  Gor- 
ham,  they  relinquishing  all  the  lands  west  of  this  tract,  which  were 
included  in  the  contract.  Though  not  entirely  pertinent  to  the  subject, 
it  may  still  in  a  sort  of  parenthetical  way  be  observed,  that  to  this 
deed  was  appended  the  name  of  Governor  John  Hancock,  not,  how- 
ever, in  his  own  hand,  as  appears  by  the  accompanying  explanation : 
"The  secretary  signed  his  excellency's  name,  by  his  order,  he  being 
unable  to  put  his  signature  by  reason  of  the  gout  in  his  right  hand." 
So,  incidental  to  our  investigations  the  very  important  historical  fact 
is  disclosed,  that  on  the  21st  of  November,  1788,  His  Excellency  Gov- 
ernor John  Hancock  was  afflicted  with  the  gout !  On  account,  how- 
ever, of  the  advance  of  the  securities  with  which  they  were  to  make 
their  payments,  Phelps  and  Gorham  were  unable  to  meet  their  engage- 
ments with  Massachusetts,  and  so  reserving  two  townships  (Tp.  10  R. 
3,  and  Tp.  9.  R.  7)  Canandaigua  and  Geneseo  (?),  they  sold  the  tract  to 
Robert  Morris,  who  had  begun  to  turn  his  attention  to  land  specula- 
tions. Mr.  Morris  held  it  but  a  short  time,  and  turned  it  over  to  Sir 
William  Poulteney  and  others  in  England,  at  a  profit,  it  has  been  said, 
of  something  like  $160,000. 

These  successful  transactions  made  Mr.  Morris  eager  for  more 
lands  upon  which  he  could  realize  still  more  profits.  On  the  llth  of 
May,  1791,  he  secured  from  Massachusetts  the  pre-emption  right  to  all 
the  lands  in  the  state  of  New  York  west  of  the  tract  purchased  by 
Messrs.  Phelps  and  Gorham.  For  this  it  is  said  that  he  paid  the  sum 
of  $333,333.33.  Mr.  Morris  held  this  tract  but  a  short  time,  and  in 
1792-3,  sold  it  to  a  syndicate  of  Holland  capitalists,  afterwards  known 
as  the  "Holland  Land  Company,"  reserving  the  eastern  portion,  about 
12  miles  in  width  ,parts  of  which  he  had  sold  to  other  parties,  or  placed 
as  security  for  loans  as  in  the  case  of  the  Church  tract.  This  came  to 
be  called  the  "Morris  reserve."  One  condition  of  this  sale  was  that 
Mr.  Morris  should  extinguish  the  Indian  title,  and  until  such  time  as 
he  should  perform  that  part  of  the  agreement,  the  syndicate  reserved 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  17 

£37,500  of  the  purchase  money.  Mr.  Morris  at  this  time  had  a  son, 
Thomas,  about  21  years  of  age,  who  had  received  a  liberal  education  at 
Geneva  and  Leipsic,  and  was  then  engaged  in  studying  law.  He  was 
a  promising  young  man,  of  good  natural  ability,  fine  presence,  and  had 
the  happy  faculty,  as  the  sequel  will  show,  of  quickly  discovering  the 
motives  of  men,  of  being  quick  to  act,  and  quite  likely  to  do  about  the 
right  thing  in  a  case  of  emergency.  This  son,  Mr.  Morris  determined 
to  settle  in  the  new  country,  "as  an  evidence  of  his  faith  in  its  value 
and  products  ;"  it  is  safe  to  presume  also,  with  an  eye  to  his  future 
usefulness  in  effecting  the  purchase  of  the  Indian  lands.  Readily  com- 
plying with  the  wishes  of  his  father,  Thomas  left  Philadelphia  in  the 
summer  of  1791,  and  following  what  was  then  called  "Sullivan's  path,' 
he  reached  Newtown  in  time  to  attend  Pickering's  council.  At  the 
council  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  many  of  the  leading  Indians,  who 
were  so  favorably  impressed  with  him,  as  to  give  him  the  name  O-te- 
ti-ana,  which  Red  Jacket  had  borne  in  his  younger  days. 

Pursuing  his  journey  to  Niagara,  he  stopped  on  his  return,  at  Can- 
andaigua,  with  which  place  he  was  so  much  pleased  as  to  make  it  his 
home.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  in  1794  attended  the  first 
court  ever  held  in  Canandaigua.  In  1794-5-6,  he  was  a  member  of 
assembly  from  Ontario.  From  1796-1801  he  was  state  senator,  and 
from  1801-1803,  was  a  member  of  congress. 

Robert  Morris  was  naturally  quite  anxious  for  a  final  settlement  of 
matters  with  the  Holland  syndicate,  but  owing  to  the  war  between 
the  Western  Indians  and  the  United  States,  in  which,  however,  the 
Six  Nations  were  not  involved,  he  deferred  making  any  formal  over- 
tures to  the  Senecas,  till  peace  was  restored,  as  he  feared  that  in  case 
he  should  succeed  in  buying  their  lands  during  the  progress  of  the  war, 
they  could  the  more  easily  be  induced  to  join  the  Western  tribes  in 
hostility  to  the  United  States.  At  last  peace  with  the  Western  Indians 
having  been  restored,  Mr.  Morris  in  August,  1796,  directed  a  letter  to 
President  Washington,  wherein  he  asked  that  a  commissioner  be  ap- 
pointed to  preside  at  a  treaty  to  be  held  with  the  Seneca  nation,  for  the 
purpose  of  enabling  him  to  "make  a  purchase  in  conformity  with  the 
formalities  of  law,"  of  the  tract  of  country  for  which  he  had  already 
paid  a  large  sum  of  money.  In  this  letter  he  stated,  "My  right  to  pre- 
emption is  unequivocal,  and  the  land  is  become  so  necessary  to  the 
growing  population,  and  surrounding  settlements,  that  it  is  with  dim- 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  18 

culty  that  the  white  people  can  be  restrained  from  squatting  or  set- 
tling down  upon  these  lands,  which  if  they  should  do,  it  may  probably 
bring  on  contentions  with  the  Six  Nations.  This  will  be  prevented  by 
a  timely,  fair,  and  honorable  purchase."  Accordingly  in  due  time, 
Isaac  Smith,  a  member  of  congress  from  New  Jersey,  was  appointed, 
but  having  received  the  appointment  of  judge  of  the  supreme  court,  he 
declined  to  act,  and  Colonel  Jeremiah  Wadsworth,  a  distinguished 
member  of  congress  from  Connecticut  was  appointed  in  his  place. 

The  time  had  now  arrived  when  active  and  immediate  prepara- 
tions for  the  treaty  were  in  order.  The  fact  that  the  Indian  village  of 
Big  Tree,  though  not  situated  upon  the  territory  for  which  negotia- 
tions were  to  be  instituted,  was  so  very  accessible  to  the  people  of  the 
Senaca  nation  and  was  the  nearest  village  to  reach  from  Philadelphia, 
New  York,  and  Canandaigua,  doubtless  had  much  to  do  in  fixing  it  as 
the  place  for  holding  the  treaty.  The  20th  of  August,  1797,  was  set  as 
the  time.  Mr.  Morris  had  appointed  his  son,  Thomas,  and  his  friend, 
Captain  Charles  Williamson,  as  his  agents,  but  Mr.  Williamson,  hav- 
ing other  engagements,  was  able  to  be  present  only  a  small  part  of  the 
time  ;  which  threw  the  burden  of  responsibility  entirely  upon  Thomas 
Morris. 

Robert  Morris  prepared  a  most  elaborate  and  carefully  written 
letter  of  instructions  to  his  agents,  giving  his  directions  and  sugges- 
tions under  twenty-four  separate  and  distinct  heads.  In  his  prefatory 
remarks  he  said  :  I  am  to  sustain  all  the  expense  ;  this  circumstance 
does  not  induce  a  desire  to  starve  the  cause,  or  to  be  niggardly  ;  at  the 
same  time,  it  is  natural  to  desire  a  consistent  economy  to  be  observed, 
both  as  to  the  expense  of  the  treaty,  and  the  price  to  be  paid  for  the 
lands."  He  inclosed  with  his  letter  a  written  speech,  with  which  he 
proposed  that  his  son  should  open  the  treaty.  The  third  article  sug- 
gests that  "The  business  of  the  treaty  may  be  greatly  propelled  prob- 
ably, by  withholding  liquor  from  the  Indians  ;  showing  and  promising 
it  to  them  when  the  treaty  is  over."  Article  6  reads:  "Annuities  of 
from  $20  to  $60  per  annum  may  be  given,  to  influential  chiefs  to  the 
extent  of  $250  or  $300  per  annum." 

Article  7  says  :  "Captain  Brandt,  although  not  belonging  to  the 
Seneca  nation,  yet  being  an  influential  character,  he  must  be  satisfied 
for  his  services,  on  as  reasonable  terms  as  possible,  after  the  purchase 
is  made."  "Jones  and  Smith,  as  interpreters,  are  to  do  their  duty  fully 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  19 

and  faithfully,  or  I  will  not  convey  the  lands  contracted  for  with  them, 
but  if  they  do  their  duty,  the  deeds  for  those  lands  shall  be  delivered 
upon  the  receipt  of  the  money  they  are  in  that  case  to  pay."  Tt  was 
also  provided  that  Mr.  Johnson,  of  Niagara,  and  Messrs.  Dean  and 
Parish,  should  be  employed  as  interpreters  and  compensated  with  reas- 
onable liberality."  Article  12  read :  "Mr.  Chapin  will  render  any 
services  that  consist  with  the  duties  of  his  station,  and  must  have  a 
proper  compliment  or  compensation."  14 :  "The  whole  cost  and 
charges  of  this  treaty,  being  at  my  expense,  you  will  direct  everything 
on  the  principle  of  a  liberal  economy.  The  Indians  must  have  plenty 
of  food,  and  also  of  liquor,  when  you  see  proper  to  order  it  to  them." 
'  'The  commissioners,  their  secretaries,  interpreters,  and  all  who  are 
officially  employed  at  or  about  this  treaty,  must  be  provided  for  at  my 
cost."  A  herd  of  cattle  was  driven  along,  and  stores  of  provisions  of 
various  kinds  in  liberal  quantities  had  to  be  transported  overbad  roads, 
in  some  places  hardly  any  roads  at  all,  to  the  scene  of  the  treaty.  In 
Doty's  history  of  Livingston  county  is  found  this  list  of  provisions  and 
presents,  which  with  the  prices  extended,  gives  something  of  an  idea 
of  the  magnitude  upon  which  the  enterprise  was  carried  out : 

1,500  rations  of  beef,  one  day  at  $5  per  hundred $75  00 

1,500  rations  of  flour  at  $2.50  per  100  pounds 38  00 

1,500  rations  of  whiskey,  25  gallons  at  $1.50 37  00 

1,500  rations  of  tobacco 5  00 

These  for  30  days  would  amount  to  $4,650. 

750  3-f t.  blankets  at  $2 1,500  00 

7502f  ft.  blankets  at  $1.50 1,125  00 

150  pieces  blue  shrouding,  24  yds,  each  at  $1  per  yard 3,600  00 

100  pieces  green  leggings  stuff,  18  yds.   in  piece,  twilled  3-4 

wide  at 1,350  00 

200  pieces  com.  calico,  at  4s,  14  yds.  per  piece 1,370  00 

50  yds,  com.  Holland,  at  4s,  24  yds  per  piece 600  00 

500  butcher  or  scalping  knives 35  00 

50  bags  vermillion 100  00 

300  pounds  powder 600  00 

800  pounds  lead 50  00 

100  small  brass  kettles,  of  4  to  6  qts 100  00 

50  brass  kettles  of  12  qts 100  00 

100  black  silk  handkerchiefs,  presents  for  the  chiefs  in  broad- 
cloth, red  or  green,  of  good  quality 100  00 

Amounting  in  the  aggregate  to $15,360  00 

and  several  cows  to  give  to  the  squaws.  Two  pipes  of  wine  were 
brought  along,  probably  mainly  for  the  commissioners,  secretaries,  in- 
terpreters and  other  officials  and  visiting  gentlemen. 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  20 

The  state  of  Massachusetts  appointed  General  William  Shepard  to 
attend  and  represent  the  commonwealth ;  Captain  Israel  Chapin,  who 
had  succeeded  his  father,  General  Chapin,  as  superintendent  of  Indian 
affairs,  was  to  be  present ;  William  Bayard  of  New  York,  Joseph  Elli- 
cott,  and  possibly  some  others,  were  to  guard  the  interests  of  the  Hol- 
land syndicate,  and  James  Rees,  afterwards  of  Geneva,  was  to  act  as 
secretary  on  the  part  of  Mr.   Morris.    There  were  quite  a  number  of 
other  whites  there,  attracted  perhaps  as  much  by  the  desire  to  see,  and 
learn  what  was  going  on  as  anything  else ;  some  who  came  seeking 
opportunities  to  make  something  if  the  chance  was  presented,  and  some 
chronic  mischief  makers,  intent  on  meddling,   and  thus  making  it  a 
hard  job  to  effect  the  purchase.    The  Indians  were  more  prompt  in 
their  appearance  than  were  the  whites.    Many  arrived  before  the  day 
appointed,  and  nearly  all  were  there  by  the  20th.     Glowing  accounts 
of  the  marvellous  wealth  of  Mr.  Morris  the  merchant  prince  of  his  day, 
had  come  to  the  ears  of  the  Indians.    They  had  been  told  of  the  lavish 
distribution  of  fine  presents  which  would  be  made,  of  the  fat  hogs  and 
oxen  that  would  be  served  out  to  them,  with  other  dainties  in  great  pro- 
fusion, with  whiskey  in  limitless  quantities  ;  that  it  was  indeed  to  be  a 
feast  of  fat  things.    The  effect  of  these  stories  was  to  draw  a  large 
crowd  of  Indians  together.    Those  only  who  were  too  old,  or  too  young, 
too  badly  crippled,  or  too  sick  to  go  stayed  at  home,  and  a  solemn  and 
awfully  prophetic  stillness  pervaded  the  grand  old  woods.    Only  at 
Big  Tree,  where  a  hundred  camp  fires  were  lighted  and  a  hundred 
kettles  swung  were  there  any  signs  of  life.    It  has  been  said  that  the 
first  oxen  killed  were  "devoured  raw,  reeking  in  the  blood,"  so  hungry 
had  the  crowd  become.    It  was,  without  a  doubt,  one  of  the  largest 
assemblages  of  Seneca  Indians  ever  seen.    The  names  of  fifty-two 
sachems,  chiefs  and  warriors  are  appended  to  the  conveyance  which 
was  made  and  executed  at  this  treaty,  but  of  all  this  number  a  few 
only  can  be  noticed  and  briefly  at  that.    Young  King  was  in  one  res- 
pect the  most  important  Indian  character  at  the  treaty,  for,  had  he 
been  so  inclined,  he  could  have  arrested  the  whole  proceeding,  and 
prevented  the  sale  of  their  lands.    He  arrived  late,  and  the  Indians 
would  proceed  no  further  until  everything  had  been  made  known  to 
him,  and  received  his  approval.    He  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  Old 
Smoke,  or  Old  King,  the  leader  of  the  Indians  at  the  Wyoming  mas- 
sacre. 


RED  JACKET 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  21 

Young  King  was  a  brave  warrior,  a  wise  counselor  and  was  pos- 
sessed of  high  social  qualities.  He  was  born  at  Canandaigua  about 
1760,  and  his  first  experience  in  warfare  was  in  fleeing  to  Niagara  with 
his  mother  before  the  advancing  and  victorious  hosts  of  Sullivan's 
army.  At  the  the  time  of  the  treaty  he  was  of  lofty  stature,  and 
majestic  mein,  a  king,  indeed,  in  personal  appearance.  After  passing 
through  a  period  of  drunkenness  and  dissipation,  he  became  converted 
to  Christianity,  and  died  on  the  Buffalo  reservation  in  1835,  greatly 
regretted  by  both  Indians  and  whites. 

Red  Jacket  was  about  39  years  old  at  the  time  of  the  treaty,  and 
was  generally  regarded  as  the  greatest  orator  of  the  whole  Six  Nations. 
He  had  won  but  little  fame  as  a  warrior,  but  was  by  no  means  the 
coward  some  have  represented  him  to  be.  When  asked  ironically  by  a 
white  man  of  his  deeds  in  war,  he  replied,  "I  am  an  orator.  I  was 
born  an  orator."  His  fame  rests  mainly  on  his  phenomenal  eloquence. 
His  speeches  though  interpreted  by  uneducated  men,  and  taken  down 
hastily  and  carelessly,  cannot  be  read  without  surprise  and  admiration 
at  their  poetry,  grace  and  strength.  He  was  at  the  treaty  at  Fort 
Stamoix  in  1784,  at  which  LaFayette  was  present.  Though  not  very 
conspicuous  in  that  council  he  made  one  speech  that  the  great  French- 
man always  remembered  with  admiration.  The  first  of  his  remarkable 
speeches  was  delivered  at  the  great  Indian  council  at  the  mouth  of 
Detroit  river  in  1786.  Red  Jacket  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  treaty 
at  Buffalo  Creek  July  8,  1788,  unsuccessfully  opposing  the  sale  of  lands 
to  Messrs.  Phelps  and  G-orham.  The  first  of  his  speeches  that  has  been 
preserved  was  delivered  at  Pickering's  council  at  Tioga  Point  in 
November,  1790  (?).  At  Colonel  Proctor's  treaty  at  Buffalo  Creek, 
when  the  Senecas  were  urged  to  send  a  delegation  to  the  Miamis,  Red 
Jacket  was  conspicuous  as  a  spokesman,  first  for  the  warriors,  and 
then  for  the  women.  He  is  found  next  at  Colonel  Pickering's  treaty  at 
Painted  Post  in  June,  1791,  and  in  March  of  the  next  year  with  fifty 
leading  Senecas,  he  visited  Philadelphia  and  took  the  chief  part  in 
negotiations  with  President  Washington.  Next  he  appeared  at  the 
great  Indian  council  at  Canandaigua ;  then  came  the  Big  Tree  council ; 
four  years  later  he  made  his  second  visit  to  the  seat  of  the  federal  gov- 
ernment. In  1810  he  made  his  third  and  last  visit  to  the  government 
officials,  which  practically  closed  his  public  career.  Red  Jacket's 
whole  life  was  devoted  to  unceasing  efforts  to  preserve  the  nationality 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  22 

and  inheritance  of  his  people.  Continually  brooding  over  the  misfor- 
tunes of  his  race,  and  wearied  with  the  long  struggle,  he  became  des- 
pondent, too  frequently  quaffed  of  the  intoxicating  cup  offered  him  by 
unfriendly  hands  among  the  whites,  and  his  last  years  were  full  of 
sorrow.  He  died  on  the  Buffalo  reservation  January  20,  1830.  Near 
the  last  he  said :  "I  am  about  to  leave  you,  and  when  I  am  gone  and 
my  warnings  are  no  longer  heard  or  regarded,  the  craft  and  avarice  of 
the  white  man  will  prevail.  Many  winters  have  I  breasted  the  storm, 
but  I  am  an  aged  tree.  I  can  stand  no  longer.  My  leaves  are  fallen, 
my  branches  are  withered  and  I  am  shaken  by  every  breeze.  Soon  my 
aged  trunk  will  be  prostrate  and  the  foot  of  the  exulting  foe  of  the 
Indian  may  be  placed  upon  it  in  safety ;  for  I  leave  none  who  will  be 
able  to  avenge  such  an  indignity.  Think  not  I  mourn  for  myself.  I 
go  to  join  the  spirits  of  my  fathers,  where  age  cannot  come ;  but  my 
heart  fails  when  I  think  of  my  people  who  are  soon  to  be  scattered  and 
forgotten." 

Farmer's  Brother  did  more  to  facilitate  the  sale  than  any  other. 
He  was  a  cousin  of  Hi-ok'-a-too,  the  husband  of  Mary  Jemison.  He 
was  one  of  the  greatest  warriors  of  the  Seneca  nation,  courageous,  vig- 
ilant, sagacious  ;  was  in  the  old  French  war  and  commanded  a  party 
in  the  bloody  battle  in  which  Braddock  lost  his  life.  In  1763  he  headed 
a  party  of  Indians  from  the  Genesee  at  the  fearful  tragedy  of  Devil's 
Hole,  and  during  the  Revolution  was  a  faithful  ally  of  the  British  ; 
but  in  the  war  of  1812,  he  led  the  warriors  of  his  nation  against  the  red 
coats.  He  was  as  famous  in  council  as  on  the  warpath.  As  a  speaker 
his  voice  was  powerful  and  melodious,  his  gestures  graceful  and  im- 
pressive, his  manner  commanding.  He  took  a  conspicuous  part  in  all 
the  more  important  treaties  held  in  this  state,  and  always  endeavored 
to  promote  the  good  of  his  people.  He  died  in  1815  at  the  age  of  90 
years,  and  was  buried  with  military  honors  in  the  old  cemetery  on 
Franklin  Square,  Buffalo.  In  1851  his  remains  were  exhumed  and 
re-buried  in  Forest  Lawn. 

Cornplanter,  who  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  Big  Tree  treaty, 
was  born  at  Canawagus,  about  1726.  He  was  a  half-breed,  his  father 
being  one  John  Abul.  a  Dutchman  from  Albany,  who  traded  much 
with  the  Senecas,  carrying  his  pack  on  his  back,  exchanging  trinkets 
for  furs.  Cornplanter  became  a  thorough  Indian,  and  has  passed 
into  history  as  one  of  the  bravest,  wisest  and  most  highly  esteemed 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  23 

of  the  Seneca  nation.  He  was  a  warrior  at  Braddock's  defeat,  was 
a  firm  ally  of  the  British  during  the  Revolution,  but  in  later  years 
became  the  friend  of  the  Americans  and  an  earnest  advocate  of  peace, 
differing  radically  in  that  respect,  from  Red  Jacket,  and  the  two  were 
constant,  and  sometimes  bitter  opponents.  In  1784  he  was  at  Fort 
Stanwix,  and  took  a  leading  part  in  the  treaty.  He  was  also  present  at 
Phelps  and  Gorham's  treaty  with  the  Indians  at  Buffalo  Creek,  in  1788, 
always  claimed  that  the  Indians  were  cheated  upon  that  occasion,  and 
appealedconstantly,  and  generally  in  vain,  for  justice  from  the  whites. 
He  was  greatly  troubled  when  he  remembered  the  disgraceful  way  in 
which  from  the  very  beginning,  the  whites  had  deceived  and  cheated 
the  Indians.  In  many  instances  he  was  opposed  to  both  Brant  and 
Red  Jacket.  He  died  on  the  reservation  in  Pennsylvania,  February  18, 
1836. 

Horatio  Jones  was  born  in  Bedford  county,  Pa.,  in  1763.  At  18 
years  of  age  he  enlisted  in  the  Revolutionary  army  and  the  same  year 
was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians.  Enduring  many  hardships  on  the 
march,  he  was  taken  to  the  Genesee  country,  made  to  run  the  gauntlet, 
it  is  claimed  by  the  best  authorities  at  O-wa-is-ki  ( Wiscoy) .  He  was 
adopted  into  an  Indian  family,  accommodated  himself  to  the  situation, 
made  himself  as  happy  as  the  circumstances  would  permit,  learned  their 
language  thoroughly,  and  was  much  employed  as  interpreter.  Natur- 
ally ingenious,  he  made  himself  useful  in  repairing  their  hunting  imple- 
ments and  weapons.  To  all  intents  and  purposes  he  became  a  thorough- 
bred Indian,  was  successful  in  the  chase,  a  prodigy  almost,  on  the  race 
course,  temperate  in  his  habits,  cheerful  in  disposition,  and  a  general 
favorite  with  the  Indians,  with  whom  he  came  to  have  great  influence, 
being  frequently  chosen  to  settle  their  disputes.  Often  by  his  interven- 
tion the  lives  of  prisoners  were  saved.  At  one  time  the  renowned  Major 
Moses  VanCampen's  life  was  saved  by  his  friendly  interposition  and 
great  presence  of  mind.  His  Indian  name  was  Ta-e-da-o-qua.  Presi- 
dent Washington  appointed  him  Indian  interpreter,  and  he  held  this 
office  till  after  1830.  He  died  at  Sweet  Briar,  his  residence  on  the 
G-enesee,  in  1836. 

Jasper  Parish  was  born  in  Connecticut  in  1766.  The  family  moved 
to  Luzerne  county,  Pa.,  and  when  he  was  11  years  old  he  was  taken 
prisoner  by  some  Delaware  Indians.  He  was  released  soon  after  the 
treaty  at  Fort  Stanwix,  but  during  his  captivity  had  made  himself  so 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  24 

familiar  with  their  language  as  to  be  appointed  interpreter  and  sub- 
agent  of  Indian  affairs  by  the  United  States  government  and  discharged 
his  duties  in  a  manner  satisfactory  at  once  to  the  government  and  the 
Indians.  He  settled  in  Canandaigua  in  1792,  and  died  in  1836. 

Joseph  Brandt  was  expected  by  Robert  Morris  to  have  been  present, 
and  render  valuable  assistance,  as  is  inferred  from  his  letter  of  in- 
structions. His  name  does  not  appear  in  the  proceedings,  but  as  he 
was  not  much  given  to  speech  making,  he  may  have  been  there  and 
rendered  important  service  notwithstanding.  He  was  a  noted  warrior, 
but  not  being  a  Seneca  will  here  and  now  be  no  further  noticed. 

Mary  Jemison,  the  white  woman  of  the  Genesee,  was  another  of 
the  notables  present  at  the  treaty. 

Doty  says :  "A  large  and  temporary  council  house,  the  exact  site 
of  which  it  is  now  difficult  to  determine,  was  at  once  prepared  for  the 
occasion.  Overhead  it  was  covered  with  boughs  and  branches  of  trees, 
to  shelter  the  assemblage  from  the  sun.  An  elevated  bench  was  pro- 
vided for  the  commissioners  and  other  benches  for  spectators."  James 
and  William  Wadsworth  had  a  log  house  so  nearly  completed  as  to 
admit  of  occupation  by  the  commissioners  and  some  others,  and  it  was 
accordingly  hired  for  the  purpose.  This  house  has  long  since  disap- 
peared, but  upon  its  site  has  been  erected  a  moderate-sized  stone 
building,  it  is  supposed  mainly  for  the  purpose  of  permanently  marking 
the  place. 

Thomas  Morris  arrived  on  the  22d  of  August  and  found  the  Indians 
all  collected  and  waiting  for  him.  On  the  23d  he  called  them  togethejr 
and  addressed  them,  bidding  them  welcome  to  the  place  where  he  had 
kindled  the  council  fire,  and  apologized  for  the  non-appearance  of  the 
commissioners,  which  he  attributed  to  the  bad  weather,  and  warned 
them  against  the  attempts  of  some  white  men  whom  he  said  he  sup- 
posed were  present  while  he  spoke,  and  attended  the  treaty  for  the 
purpose  of  leading  astray  and  deceiving  the  Indians ;  that  such  conduct 
in  those  people  was  in  contempt  of  the  laws  of  their  country,  and  that 
if  they  did  not  desist,  he  would  see  those  laws  put  into  execution. 
Cornplanter  immediately  arose,  recapitulated  the  heads  of  his  speech 
to  the  Indians  and  expressed  his  satisfaction  at  being  informed  that 
mischief-makers  would  be  prosecuted.  Saturday,  August  26th,  late  in 
the  afternoon,  the  commissioners  arrived  and  found  the  Indians  receiv- 
ing their  annual  presents,  which  were  being  distributed  by  Mr.  Chapin. 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  25 

On  Sunday,  the  27th,  the  Indians  held  a  council  for  condolence  with 
Mr.  Chapin  on  the  death  of  his  daughter,  to  which  they  invited  the 
commissioners  and  all  the  gentlemen  from  a  distance.  On  Monday, 
the  28th,  the  council  was  formally  opened.  Cornplanter,  addressing 
himself  to  Mr.  Morris,  acknowledged  the  receipt  of  his  speech  of  invi- 
tation by  Jones  and  Parish,  observed  that  on  their  part  they  had  been 
punctual  in  attendance,  and  was  sorry  the  gentlemen  who  had  come  to 
meet  them  had  met  with  delays  on  the  road.  He  then  handed  back 
the  string  of  wampum  which  had  been  delivered  to  him  by  the  inter- 
preters. 

The  United  States  commissioner,  Colonel  Wadsworth,  then  ad- 
dressed the  Indians,  telling  them  that  he  was  the  commissioner  of  the 
United  States,  appointed  by  the  president  to  hold  a  treaty  with  them, 
and  stating  that  the  treaty  is  "held  agreeably  with  the  law,  on  the 
petition  of  Robert  Morris,  Esq.,  and  its  object  is  to  effect  a  purchase, 
if  agreeable  to  you,  of  a  parcel  of  your  lands,"  concluding  by  intro- 
ducing General  Shepard,  the  commissioner  from  Massachusetts,  and  Mr. 
Morris  and  Capt.  Williamson,  the  son  and  friend  of  Robert  Morris,  who 
are  his  representatives  and  have  full  power  to  ask  for  him  "in  treating 
with  you  for  the  purchase  of  the  lands  in  question.  Brothers,  I 
rejoice  with  you  that  the  Great  Spirit  has  brought  us  together,  let  us 
so  conduct  ourselves  as  not  to  offend  him,  lest  he  withdraw  his  protec- 
tion from  us." 

Colonel  Shepard  then  addressed  them,  saying  in  part :  "Brothers : 
Your  brother,  the  governor,  and  the  executive  council  of  the  state  of 
Massachusetts,  desirous  that  justice  should  be  done  to  people  of  every 
color,  and  particularly  to  their  brothers  of  the  Seneca  nation,  have 
sent  me  with  power  to  attend  this  treaty  on  their  behalf.  *  *  * 
And  I  shall  make  it  my  business  to  to  see  that  the  negotiation  between 
you  is  carried  on  upon  principles  of  justice  and  fairness.  Brothers, 
I  am  an  old  man,  much  accustomed  to  do  public  business  for  the  state 
to  which  I  belong.  I  have  always  observed  when  thus  employed,  that 
a  spirit  of  harmony  and  conciliation  was  attended  with  happy  effect 
among  us,  therefore,  brothers,  I  hope  that  your  minds  will  be  united, 
and  that  the  voice  of  one  will  express  the  sentiments  of  all.  Brothers, 
I  have  now  said  all  that  I  have  to  say  to  you  at  present.  May  the 
Great  Spirit  take  you  under  his  protection,  and  give  wisdom  and  unan- 
imity to  your  councils." 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  26 

Thomas  Morris,  then,  in  a  short  address,  informed  them  that  as 
the  Great  Spirit  had  prevented  the  attendance  of  his  father  at  this 
treaty,  he  had  appointed  him  and  Charles  Williamson,  Esq.,  agents  to 
treat  with  them  on  his  behalf,  as  would  appear  by  the  power  he  then 
handed  to  them,  and  had  directed  the  delivery  of  a  speech  which  he 
had  written  to  them  from  Philadelphia.  Robert  Morris's  speech  was 
then  read  to  them.  I  will  read  the  following  excerpts :  "Brothers 
of  the  Seneca  Nation :  It  was  my  wish  and  my  intention  to  have 
come  into  your  country  and  to  have  met  you  at  this  treaty,  but  the 
Great  Spirit  has  ordained  otherwise,  and  I  cannot  go.  I  grow  old 
and  corpulent,  and  not  very  well,  and  am  fearful  of  traveling  so  far 
during  the  hot  weather  in  the  month  of  August."  Then,  after  referring 
to  his  appointment  of  his  son  and  Captain  Charles  Williamson  as  his 
agents  and  saying  some  other  good  things,  tending  to  create  a  confi- 
dence in  his  agents,  he  very  adroitly  proceeds  to  say  :  "Brothers,  it  is 
now  six  years  since  I  have  been  invested  with  the  exclusive  right  to 
acquire  your  lands,  during  the  whole  of  which  time,  you  have  quietly 
possessed  them  without  being  importuned  to  sell  them,  but  I  now  think 
that  it  is  time  for  them  to  be  productive  to  you ;  it  is  with  a  view  to 
render  them  so,  that  I  have  acquiesced  in  your  desire  to  meet  you  at 
the  Genesee  river.  I  shall  take  care  immediately  to  deposit  in  the 
Bank  of  the  United  States  whatever  my  son  and  my  friend  may  agree 
to  pay  to  you  in  my  behalf."  Then,  after  some  well-chosen  words  of 
flattery  for  their  chiefs,  with  some  of  whom  he  had  become  acquainted, 
and  expressing  the  hope  that  for  their  sakes  the  wise  men  now  at  the 
head  of  their  affairs  would  so  fix  their  business  (by  which  of  course  he 
meant  the  disposal  of  their  lands),  that  it  would  not  be  left  in  the 
power  of  wrong-headed  men  in  the  future  to  waste  the  property  given 
to  them  by  the  Great  Spirit  for  the  use  of  themselves  and  their  poster- 
ity, and  making  no  definite  proposal,  closed  by  bidding  them  farewell 
and  invoking  the  Great  Spirit  to  ever  befriend  and  protect  them.  Mr. 
Morris's  speech  was  a  masterpiece  in  its  way,  was  well  calculated  to 
make  a  favorable  impression  upon  the  Indians,  and  he  declared  that  he 
"desired  nothing  but  fair,  open  and  honest  transactions." 

After  the  speech  of  Mr.  Morris  had  been  read,  the  speeches  of  the 
commissioners,  which  were  in  writing,  and  a  string  of  wampum,  were 
laid  on  the  table,  and  they  were  informed  by  Thomas  Morris  that  they 
had  nothing  further  to  say  for  the  present,  and  the  council  fire  was 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  27 

covered  for  that  day.  Nearly  all  of  the  29th  was  consumed  in  councils 
among  the  Indians  alone.  Late  in  the  afternoon,  all  were  summoned 
to  their  public  council,  when  Red  Jacket  noticed  the  speeches  of  the 
day  before,  and  thanked  the  Great  Spirit  for  his  care  of  the  commis- 
sioners, and  stated  that  they  were  "satisfied  with  the  appointments 
made  by  the  president,  governor  of  Massachusetts,  and  this  friend  who 
called  for  this  council  fire."  Then  turning  to  Thomas  Morris,  he 
observed  that  it  appeared  from  the  speeches  delivered  that  there  was 
something  kept  back,  but  that  from  his  expressions  of  fairness  and 
candor  they  hoped  all  would  be  fairly  laid  before  them.  Mr.  Morris 
replied  that  it  was  his  intention  "to  act  with  fairness  and  sincerity, 
and  he  was  then  ready,  if  they  were  ready  to  hear  him,  to  lay  before 
them,  more  particularly,  the  business  which  had  called  them  together. 
It  was  then  suggested  by  Red  Jacket,  that  as  the  sun  was  nearly  down, 
it  would  perhaps  be  well  to  leave  it  for  tomorrow,  and  the  council 
fire  was  covered  over. 

On  the  30th  the  council  was  opened  in  the  morning  and  Mr.  Morris 
delivered  an  artfully  written  speech,  in  which  he  dwelt  largely  upon 
the  advantages  which  would  accrue  to  them,  from  the  sale  of  their 
lands,  as  they  would  have  a  larger  sum  of  money  than  had  ever  before 
been  offered  them  for  land ;  that  it  would  be  enough  to  make  them  all 
happy >  clothe  all  their  naked  and  feed  all  their  hungry;  that  by  placing 
it  in  bank  and  drawing  out  the  income  yearly,  not  only  themselves  but 
their  children,  and  their  children's  children,  would  be  benefitted  by  the 
sale,  for  they  would  be  allowed  reservations  at  each  of  their  villages, 
amply  sufficient  for  their  support  for  all  time  to  come  ;  in  addition  to 
which  he  represented  that  they  could  reserve  the  right  to  hunt  and  fish, 
which  the  white  settlers  and  their  settlements  would  in  no  wise  inter- 
fere with,  illustrating  this  point  by  alluding  to  the  fact  that  although 
they  had  nine  years  before  sold  the  lands  upon  which  they  were  then 
holding  the  council,  they  still  killed  more  game  upon  it  than  upon  the 
tract  for  which  they  were  now  treating.  He  refrained  from  making  a 
definite  offer,  however,  but  took  occasion  to  say  that  in  case  no  pur- 
chase of  their  land  was  effected  at  this  treaty,  that  his  father,  nor  no 
one  for  him  would  ever  again  offer  to  buy,  or  ask  for  a  council  to  be 
called  for  the  purpose.  He  then  sat  down,  and  after  a  few  moments 
one  of  the  chiefs  arose  and  stated  that  if  he  had  nothing  more  to  say  to 
them  at  present  they  would  like  to  be  left  alone  to  their  private  con- 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  28' 

sultations.  The  council  fire  was  then  covered  over  for  the  day.  The 
whole  of  the  last  day  of  the  month  was  consumed  in  counciling  on  Mr. 
Morris's  speech,  without  arriving  at  any  conclusion. 

Early  in  the  morning  on  September  1st,  Farmer's  Brother  came  to 
Mr.  Morris,  making  complaint  that  a  person  in  the  neighborhood  of 
their  camp  had  been  selling  whisky  to  the  Indians,  and  many  of  them 
were  drunk,  Red  Jacket  among  the  number,  and  wished  to  know  what 
could  be  done,  as  the  man  was  still  selling  out  the  whisky.  He  was 
advised  to  go  and  seize  the  barrel  and  knock  it  in  the  head,  which  he 
immediately  did.  Red  Jacket  was  greatly  irritated  by  this  wanton  de- 
struction of  the  whisky  and  many  of  them  fell  to  fighting,  pulling  hair 
and  biting  each  other  like  dogs,  wherever  they  could  get  hold,  and  no 
progress  was  made  in  the  business  of  the  treaty.  Mr.  Morris  and  Cap- 
tain Chapin  went  and  forbid  all  the  people  residing  near  the  Indians 
selling  them  whisky.  There  was  great  danger  of  a  rupture  at  this 
juncture  and  it  required  all  the  coolness  and  wisdom  the  commission- 
ers and  Mr.  Morris  could  command,  supplemented  by  the  good  offi- 
ces of  Messrs.  Jones  and  Parish,  the  interpreters,  to  prevent  an  out- 
break which  might  have  resulted  in  the  destruction  of  the  lives  of  all 
the  whites. 

On  the  afternoon  of  September  3d  the  sachems  sent  for  the  com- 
missioners and  Mr.  Morris  to  come  to  their  council  fire,  Farmer's 
Brother  then  arose  and  stated  that  they  then  proposed  to  answer  Mr- 
Morris's  speech.  Then  Red  Jacket  arose  and  very  plainly  stated  that 
they  had  no  more  lands  than  they  wanted  to  set  down  upon;  that  they 
had  been  told  that  a  great  deal  of  money  would  be  offered  them  for 
their  lands  but  they  could  not  learn  how  much,  as  Mr.  Morris  had  not 
told  them,  but  he  supposed  he  would  now  bring  forward  a  great  deal 
of  money  to  show  them,  but  requested  that  he  would  hold  his  fists 
close,  as  they  would  rather  have  their  lands  than  money.  In  the  even- 
ing a  private  conference  was  held  with  the  principal  chiefs  and  sach- 
ems, when  Mr.  Morris  offered  them  $100,000  for  the  whole  of  their 
lands  and  suggested  that  they  invest  it  in  stock  of  the  United  States, 
and  it  would  bring  them  at  least  $6,000  yearly  forever.  The  Indians 
requested  him  to  make  this  offer  in  public  council  and  the  conference 
ended. 

On  the  3d  of  September,  Red  Jacket  sent  a  private  note  to  Mr. 
Morris,  stating  that  the  speech  he  made  the  day  before  was  not  his  own 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  29 

sentiments,  but  was  made  to  please  some  of   his  people,  that  his  next 
speech  would  not  be  so  harsh,  and  that  he  would  finally  answer   his 
purpose  if  he  persevered  in  the  business.    This  looked  like  an  intima- 
tion that  he  was  "open  to  conviction,"  and  Mr.  Morris,  no  doubt,  at 
once  took  in  the  situation.    In  the  afternoon   in  public  council   Red 
Jacket  arose  and  said  in  substance:    "We  told  you  yesterday,  and  we 
tell  you  now,  that  our  seat  is  not  too  large  for  us  to   sit   down   upon 
comfortably.    Once   the    Six   Nations  were  a  great  people,  had  large 
council  fire  at  Onondaga,  but  now  at  Buffalo.    Soon  may  have  to  move 
again.    Now  the  Onondagas  are  nobody;  have  no  lands  of   their  own, 
but  we  are  kind  to  our  brothers,  and  let  them  sit  down  in  our   lands. 
We  are  still  respected  as  a  great  people,  all  owing  to  our   lands.    You 
want  to  buy  all  our  lands,  except  such  reservations  as  you  might  make 
for  us  to  raise  corn  on.    It  would  make  us  nobody  to  accept  such  res- 
ervations, and  where  you  might  think  proper.    If   this  should  be  the 
case  we  could  not  say  we  were  a  free  people.    Brothers,  this  matter  is 
of  great  magnitude,  and  we  thank  you  for  putting  us  in  mind  of  this, 
and  hope  you  will  stick  to  the  same  advice  you  give  us.    Brothers,  we 
wish  you  to  put  your  speeches  in  writing,  so  that  we   can  read   them 
when  we  are  old.    There  are  a  great  many  of   our  people  who  cannot 
remember  long,  but  if  they  are  all  wrote  down  they  can    be   read   to 
them  when  they  are  old,  and  we  shall  know  what  has  been  said  to  us." 
Mr.    Morris   then    delivered    a  speech,   framed  substantially    in 
these    words:      "Brothers,  as  you  request,   I  will  hereafter  hand  you 
my  speeches   in   writing.    I   will  attend   you  for  that   purpose   as 
early  tomorrow  as  you  please.    Brothers,  you  asked  yesterday  to  know 
what  price  I  would  give  you  for  your  lands.     I  will  tell  you,  but   first 
I  have  something  to  say  to  you,  which  I  wish  you  to  give  your  serious 
attention  to,  so  that  you  may  understand  well,  and   impress   on   your 
minds  what  I  have  to  say.     Brothers,  if   you  do  not  sell  your  lands  at 
this  treaty,  you  will  never  have  another  opportunity  of   making  a  bar- 
gain in  the  presence  of  the  whole  nation,  because  my  father  will  never, 
either  in  person  or  by  agent,  again  meet  you.    Brothers,  I  now  offer 
you  $100,000,  which  is  more  than  you  ever  have  been  or  ever  will   be 
again  offered.     I  propose  to  you  to  make  reservations  round  your  towns 
and  retain  the  right  to  hunt  and  fish  on  the  lands  sold,  but  your  reser- 
vations must  not  be  large.     This  sum  is  greater  than  was  ever  offered 
to  you  for  lands;  it  would  require  at  least  thirty  horses  to  bring  it  to 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  30 

you  from  Philadelphia;  it  will  fill  several  barrels.  I  would  advise  you 
to  invest  it  in  bank  stock  of  the  United  States,  where  it  will  be  safe,  and 
forever  bring  you  an  amount  of  income  of  at  least  $6,000,  which  will 
be  sufficient  to  clothe  you  every  year,  which  the  game  taken  on  your 
lands  will  not  do  if  sold,  but  if  you  sell  your  lands  you  will  not  only 
have  all  the  game  you  now  have,  but  a  very  handsome  sum  of  money 
annually  also."  This  speech  seemed  to  be  well  received  and  closed  the 
business  for  the  day. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  4th  the  council  was  again  convened,  and 
Mr.  Morris  delivered  the  speech  of  the  day  before  in  writing.  Then 
Cornplanter  arose,  and  said  that  the  sachems  had  taken  the  whole  busi- 
ness on  themselves;  that  they  had  never  made  Mr.  Morris  an  answer  to 
the  speech  he  (Mr.  Morris)  had  made  at  Buffalo  Creek,  and  he  hoped 
they  would  not  trifle  away  time,  and  finally  give  their  friend,  Mr. 
Morris,  no  more  satisfaction  than  they  had  given  him  before.  He 
should  start  for  home  tomorrow  and  whatever  was  done  be  it  on  them- 
selves. Was  very  glad  the  President  had  sent  on  a  person  to  see  that 
business  was  fairly  transacted,  and  concluded  by  thanking  him  for  his 
care  and  attention  to  them.  Colonel  Wadsworth  then  expressed  him- 
self as  sorry  that  a  division  in  their  councils  had  taken  place;  that  it 
was  no  uncommon  thing  among  the  whites,  and  was  the  source  of  all 
their  difficulties;  but  when  national  matters  were  before  them,  and  the 
interests  of  the  nation  concerned,  they  ought  to  be  united  in  their  en- 
deavors to  effect  that  which  would  be  for  the  public  good.  He 
represented  the  United  States,  and  was  there  to  see  that  justice 
was  done;  he  did  not  want  to  buy  their  lands  ;  he  did  not 
ask  them  to  sell  their  lands,  and  should  not  ask  them,  but  he  hoped 
they  would  unite  in  their  councils  and  do  what  would  be  for  the 
interests  of  their  nation,  and  expressed  a  desire  that  they  would  come 
to  a  speedy  conclusion  of  the  business. 

Farmer's  Brother  then  arose  and  expressed  himself  to  the  effect 
that  "It  was  the  first  he  had  heard  of  a  division  in  their  councils,  and 
that  if  it  was  so,  it  ought  not  to  have  been  mentioned  here;  the  white 
people  ought  not  to  have  known  it."  After  speaking  at  some  length 
upon  topics  not  immediately  connected  with  the  treaty,  he  sat  down 
and  Colonel  Wadsworth  repeated  his  advice  as  to  unanimity  said  that 
great  and  brave  men  always,  in  cases  of  this  kind,  forgave  each  other  and 
sat  down  and  counciled  together  for  the  general  good;  he  did  not  want 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  31 

to  buy  their  lands;  the  president  knew  he  was  rich  and  wanted  for 
nothing,  and  that  was  the  reason  he  was  sent  here;  he  hoped  they 
would  make  up  their  minds  on  this  business  and  let  him  go  home,  as 
he  was  old  and  had  the  gout,  he  had  not  long  to  live  and  wished  to 
spend  the  remainder  of  his  days  with  his  family  and  friends.  The 
council  fire  was  then  covered  up.  No  council  was  held  on  the  5th  as 
the  time  of  the  Indians  was  taken  up  with  troublesome  men  who  were 
meddling  with  the  business,  and  treating  them  with  whisky,  which 
rendered  them  unfit  for  deliberations. 

On  the  6th,  after  a  somewhat  desultory  speech  by  Chief  Warrior 
Little  Beard,  on  some  matters  unimportant  to  recite  here,  Red  Jacket 
arose  and  after  some  observations  of  no  great  importance,  concluded 
his  speech  by  saying  that  they  had  agreed  to  try  the  value  of  their 
lands  and  offered  a  tract  of  six  miles  square,  beginning  at  the  corner 
of  the  Gorham  and  Phelps  purchase  on  the  Pennsylvania  line,  at  $1 
per  acre,  saying  that  '  'that  was  their  price,  that  you  need  not  offer  us 
half  that  price,  nor  expect  more  land.  Our  friend,  Colonel  Wads- 
worth,  will  see  that  this  bargain  is  just,  and  will  confirm  it."  Then 
directing  his  talk  to  Mr.  Morris,  he  said:  "You  know  the  value  of  land 
round  a  town  that  you  settle,  and  we  hope  you  will  deal  honorably 
with  us.  You  will  get  $6  per  acre,  and  we  offer  to  sell  at  $1,  therefore 
you  ought  to  make  your  mind  easy.  Tomorrow  would  be  a  good  time 
to  answer  this,  or  as  Captain  Williamson  is  present,  you  would  consult 
with  him  and  give  your  answer  immediately.  I  have  spoken  my  mind 
in  a  few  words — very  short." 

Mr.  Morris  then  rose,  and  said  that  he  would  speak  his  mind  in  a 
few  words,  just  as  short,  substantially  to  the  effect,  "that  the  offer 
was  worthy  of  no  consideration  whatever,  could  not  be  accepted,  and 
if  that  was  their  final  determination,  they  might  as  well  cover  the 
council  fire.  Still  if  you  are  again  desirious  of  considering  the  offer  I 
have  made,  I  shall  wait  your  answer."  He  had  no  sooner  seated  him- 
self than  Red  Jacket  arose,  and  in  great  passion  said:  "Agreed,  let  us 
cover  over  the  fire;"  and  furiously  stretching  his  hand  over  the  table 
said:  "Let  us  shake  hands,  and  part  friends,"  and  the  business  was 
considered  closed.  This  offer  of  the  Indians  was  not  looked  for;  it  was 
entirely  unexpected.  It  was  indeed  a  master  stroke,  and  had  the 
Indians  steadfastly  maintained  that  position,  the  result  of  the  treaty 
would  have  been  entirely  different. 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  32 

On  the  7th  in  the  afternoon,  the  commissioners,  Mr.  Morris  and 
Captain  Williamson,  were  notified  that  the  warriors  would  hold  a 
council.  They  accordingly  attended,  and  Cornplanter  introduced  his 
cousin,  Little  Billy,  who  he  said  would  express  their  minds,  which  was 
to  smooth  the  business  of  yesterday.  Little  Billy  in  a  short  speech, 
thanked  the  Great  Spirit  for  his  care  over  them  the  past  night,  and 
that  He  had  permitted  them  to  meet  again;  that  they  had  kindled 
the  fire,  that  their  voices  as  warriors  might  be  heard,  alluded  to  the 
short  speeches  of  the  day  before,  and  the  abrupt  closing  of  the  council 
which  was  regretted,  and  was  sorry  for  that  short  speech  and  the 
conduct  of  one  of  their  warriors;  wished  to  unite  once  more  as  friends, 
as,  if  the  business  was  left  as  at  present,  it  would  cause  them  much 
uneasiness,  and  said  that  it  was  their  wish  to  treat  friendly  with  each 
other  on  this  business.  Mr.  Morris  answered  saying  that  he  thanked 
the  warriors  for  their  friendly  interference  to  remove  the  misunder- 
standing. He  was  desirious  that  all  misunderstanding  should  be  buried 
in  oblivion,  and  cheerfully  united  with  them  in  again  opening  a  friend- 
ly fire,  and  if  it  was  their  intention  to  renew  the  business,  he  would 
meet  them  in  calmness.  Farmer's  Brother  then  asked  the  attention  of 
all,  and  expressing  his  sorrow  at  the  misunderstanding  that  had  arisen 
and  thanking  the  warriors  for  taking  an  early  moment  to  ease  the 
minds  of  the  nation,  the  commissioners,  Mr.  Morris  and  Captain  Wil- 
liamson, went  on  to  say,  that  "agreeable  with  an  ancient  custom  of  their 
people,  when  a, difference  arose,  it  was  referred  to  the  warriors  and 
headwomen,  so  now  he  said  the  warriors  and  headwomen  would 
answer  the  propositions  that  had  been  made  to  them."  Then  Colonel 
Wadsworth  expressed  his  satisfaction,  congratulating  them  on  their 
warriors  taking  the  business  in  hand,  and  hoped  that  they  might  soon 
make  up  their  minds  so  he  might  return  to  his  home.  General  Shepard 
addressed  them  to  the  same  effect,  and  Little  Billy  closed  the  proceed- 
ings of  the  day  with  recommending  that  the  warriors  would,  while  the 
business  was  being  considered,  abstain  from  drinking,  and  attend  only 
to  the  interests  of  the  nation. 

On  the  morning  of  the  7th,  Mr.  Morris  desired  the  interpreters  to 
bring  all  the  chief  women  to  Mr.  Wadsworth.  After  they  were  assem- 
bled, he  told  them  that  the  business  upon  which  he  had  convened  the 
nation,  was  at  an  end;  that  their  sachems  had  hastily  covered  the  council 
fire,  and  he  expected  soon  to  go  home.  He  repeated  to  the  women  the 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  33 

offer  he  had  made  to  the  sachems,  and  then  said  that  "he  had  brought 
up  from  Philadelphia,  some  presents  for  them,  and  as  they  were  not  to 
blame  for  the  ill-treatment  he  had  met  with  from  the  chiefs,  he  would 
at  all  events,  give  them  these  things,  and  still  would,  in  case  of  success, 
give  them  a  number  of  cows,  and  that  if  he  failed  in  the  purchase,  the 
expense  he  had  already  been  at,  was  so  great  as  to  prevent  his  fulfilling 
the  latter  intention;  he  begged  them  to  contrast  their  present  situa- 
tion with  the  one  in  which  they  would  be  placed  if  provided  with 
money  enough  to  provide  the  comforts  of  life.  He  concluded  by  deliv- 
ering a  string  of  wampum,  and  told  them  that  whenever  they  experi- 
enced the  hardships  of  poverty,  to  show  it  to  their  chiefs  and  tell  them 
that  with  that  belt  they  had  been  offered  wealth  which  the  chiefs 
rejected.  This  was  a  rare  good  stroke  of  business  diplomacy.  The 
women  soon  declared  for  selling,  and  things  took  on  a  different  aspect. 
He  then  went  on  to  tell  the  women  about  the  large  amount  of  money 
he  had  offered  them,  told  them  how  many  horses  it  would  take  to 
bring  it,  and  how  many  barrels  it  would  fill,  and  what  wonderful 
things  it  would  do  for  them. 

When  the  proceedings  of  the  afternoon  were  concluded  Farmer's 
Brother  asked  Mr.  Morris  if  he  were  going  home  early  in  the  morn- 
ing. Mr.  Morris  said  he  should  prepare  to  go,  "but  that  it  would  take 
him  several  days  to  pack  his  things,  and  that  he  was  obliged  on  this 
account  to  stay,  that  notwithstanding  the  business  was  ended,  he  did 
not  want  to  leave  his  brothers  in  bad  temper;  that  he  had  kindled  the 
council  fire  and  therefore  it  was  his,  and  not  Red  Jacket's  business  to 
put  it  out;  that  as  things  were,  they  might  again  meet,  become  recon- 
ciled to  each  other,  and  part  friends."  Young  King  arrived  this  day; 
his  friend  and  cousin  having  died  he  refused  to  attend  to  business  till 
the  day  after  his  burial.  The  business  was  then  explained  to  him  and 
he  expressed  himself  as  opposed  to  the  sale;  that  the  nation  might  do 
as  it  thought  best,  but  his  voice  was  against  it.  Notwithstanding 
these  protestations  Young  King  eventually  yielded  and  withdrew  his 
opposition. 

No  public  council  was  held  on  the  8th,  the  day  being  consumed  in 
counciling  in  small  parties,  both  men  and  women.  It  was  surmised, 
however,  that  progress  was  being  made  toward  a  more  favorable  con- 
sideration of  Mr.  Morris's  offer.  As  it  was  important  that  the  efforts 
of  some  persons  who  were  dealing  out  whisky  and  insinuating  that  Mr. 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  34 

Morris  was  going  to  cheat  them,  should  be  thwarted,  one  Alexander 
Ewiiig,  a  leader  among  them,  was  taken  into  custody,  and  not  being 
able  to  procure  bail,  was  sent  to  Canandaigua  jail,  which  caused  much 
alarm  among  the  intenneddlers  and  effectually  suppressed  their 
practices. 

When  the  council  was  opened  on  the  9th,  Little  Billy  stated  that 
before  entering  on  business  one  of  the  Cayuga  brothers  desired  to 
address  a  few  words  to  the  Seneca  nation.  The  Cayuga,  in  a  brief 
speech,  counseled  deliberation,  as  the  business  was  of  great  importance, 
and  urged  that  they  should  be  united.  Little  Billy  then  spoke,  saying 
in  substance  to  Mr.  Morris  and  Captain  Williamson:  "We  hope  you 
will  make  your  mind  easy  on  the  business  before  us;  it  has  long  been 
before  us;  an  answer  was  given  by  the  sachems  which  was  not  agreea- 
ble; the  business  has  been  referred  to  us,  the  warriors;  we  counciled  on 
it  yesterday  but  the  day  being  rainy  and  uncomfortable  nothing  was 
concluded;  today  we  are  united  as  one,  and  will  now  deliver  our  mind 
in  writing  and  request  the  person  who  wrote  it  for  us  to  read  it 
publicly;  there  is  no  secret  in  it." 

Cornplanter's  speech  was  then  read.  He  said  in  part:  "The  coun- 
cil fire  was  kindled  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Morris.  The  sachems  covered 
the  council  fire,  but  Mr.  Morris  claims  it  was  not  entirely  covered  ; 
that  he  means  to  lay  the  business  before  the  warriors  and  women.  I 
wish  to  remind  you  of  some  of  the  promises  made  by  the  United 
States  at  the  close  of  the  war.  The  commissioners  told  us  they  had 
got  strong  and  if  we  would  be  peaceful  they  would  take  us 
under  protection,  and  make  our  seats  firm  and  permanent,  even 
if  they  were  surrounded  by  white  people,  and  we  should  not  be 
disturbed.  I  have  always  told  my  people  to  look  up  to  General 
Washington  as  our  father,  as  he  was  the  governor  of  the  thirteen  fires. 
We  are  happy  to  find  that  you  have  grown  to  be  a  great  people,  and 
are  now  fifteen  fires.  We  have  been  told  that  our  land  would  become 
very  valuable  to  us.  We  are  sorry  to  find  that  the  president  has 
consented  to  the  sale  of  our  lands  at  this  council  fire.  It  would  have 
been  more  satisfactory  to  us  had  it  been  left  all  to  ourselves.  We 
wish  to  act  as  we  please  in  this  business;  under  this  situation  we  hope 
the  president,  General  Chapin  and  all  the  gentlemen  interested  will 
take  pity  on  us.  We  have  furnished  seats  for  many  brothers  of  other 
nations.  In  every  town  are  buried  the  bones  of  our  ancestors.  This 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  35 

makes  us  very  stingy  of  our  lands.  Still,  if  you  will  leave  the  matter 
entirely  to  us  we  will  conclude  a  bargain  with  Mr.  Morris."  The 
speech  concluded  by  asking  Mr.  Morris  to  consult  the  Book  of  the 
Great  Spirit  and  see  if  he  could  find  anything  in  it  directing  white 
people  to  intrude  on  Indian. 

Colonel  Wadsworth  then  addressed  the  Senecas,  in  an  effort  to 
disabuse  their  minds  of  some  erroneous  impressions,  closing  in  these 
words:  "I  despair  of  asking  you  to  let  me  go  home;  I  must  patiently 
wait  your  time."  Mr.  Morris  then  addressed  the  Indians,  in  part  to 
this  effect:  "I  was  in  hopes  to  be  informed  by  you  and  your  women, 
whether  you  intended  to  sell  the  whole  of  the  lands,  or  if  not,  what 
part,  but  if  you  have  not  had  time  to  consult  on  the  several  points 
referred  to  you,  you  can  yet  have  it,  and  make  your  answer  when  you 
please.  *  *  *  I  consider  the  offer  I  now  make  you  for  your  lands 
to  be  strictly  honorable,  generous  and  calculated  for  your  real  benefit." 
Cornplanter  then  said:  "Brothers,  we  now  understand  you  perfectly 
well.  The  commissioner  tells  us  we  are  mistaken  in  our  idea  of  the 
president.  We  heartily  thank  him  for  removing  the  mistake  from  our 
minds.  We  shall  again  take  into  consideration  the  business  before  us 
and  give  an  answer  as  soon  as  possible.  We  beg  our  brother,  Mr. 
Morris,  will  lend  us  the  large  map  of  our  country,  which  shall  be  care- 
fully restored." 

At  the  opening  of  the  council  on  the  10th  General  Shepard  informed 
the  Indians  that  Colonel  Wadsworth  was  not  well  enough  to  be  present, 
but  that  everything  should  be  made  known  to  him.  Little  Billy  then 
rose  and  stated  that  they  were  not  prepared  to  give  an  answer  to  Mr. 
Morris's  proposition  and  Cornplanter  would  make  it  known.  Corn- 
planter  then  proceeded,  reciting  the  purpose  of  the  council,  stating  that 
it  was  understood  by  him  that  it  was  old  Mr.  Morris  who  desired  the 
council  fire,  that  he  only  had  the  right  to  purchase  our  lands,  and 
we  are  now,  after  making  the  reserves,  prepared  to  close  the  bargain. 
That  the  sum  offered  they  considered  as  small,  but  as  they  were  to 
make  such  reserves  as  will  suit  their  purpose,  he  advised  that  he  (Mr. 
Morris)  make  his  mind  easy  on  the  business.  Mr.  Morris  might  consid- 
er the  reservations  as  too  large,  but  the  mode  in  which  the  country  is  to 
be  settled  will  give  the  whites  great  advantages,  and  that  it  would  be 
but  generous  to  add  to  the  annuity.  Our  seats  we  want  to  be  large 
enough,  so  that  we  can  give  our  Indian  brethren  room  in  case  they 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  36 

should   be   crowded   by   the    whites,    and     we   wish    it   distinctly 
understood   that  they    are    to   be     our     own    forever."       To     this 
Mr.    Morris   replied,    among    other  things    saying:      "I    am    happy 
to  find   that    you   have    determined    on    a  sale  of   your  lands,  for  if 
this  treaty  had  failed  it  would  have  been  impossible  for   my   father 
to  have  collected  the  chiefs  and  warriors  again  on  this  business.    *    * 
*    In  case  the  matter  should  have  ever  been  called  up  again,  it  would 
become  necessary  for  some  of  your  sachems  to  visit  Philadelphia,  and  it 
would  not  be  as  satisfactory  as  an  open  and  fair  one  like  this,  at  which 
every  man,  woman  and  child  capable  of  thinking  can  know  what  is  pass- 
ing; but  brothers,  as  you  have  not  described  your  reservations,  you  can- 
not expect  my  consent,  until  informed  of  their  extent.    I  am  not  unrea- 
sonable, nor  do  I  wish  to  be  tight,  but  as  the  sum  I  offer  is  very  large  the 
reservations  ought  to  be  small.  *  *    *    I  would  wish  you  immediately 
to  appoint  chiefs,  to  describe  the  reservations  necessary  for  each  tribe." 
Little  Billy  then  addressed  the  nation,  mentioning  "that  by  the  speech 
they  had  just  heard,  they  would  see  the  necessity  of  appointing  suitable 
persons  to  make  the  reserves,"  and  proposed  that  "each  village  should 
make  their  appointments,  that  they  might  be  ready  to    meet   on    this 
business  tomorrow,"  and  then  the  council  was   closed   for   the   day. 
Young  King  must  have  absented  himself  from  some  of  the  proceedings 
as  on  the  llth  he  is  said  to  have  arrived  with  a  young  war  chief  (name 
not  given)  who  desired  to  be  informed  of  all  that  had  passed,  so  James 
Bees  read  to  him  the  journal,  and  all  the   speeches,  and  he  expressed 
himself  as  satisfied. 

Much  of  the  time  of  the  12th,  13th,  14th  and  15th  was  spent  in 
determining  on  the  reservations.  It  was  with  much  difficulty  that 
they  could  be  kept  within  reasonable  bounds.  The  Buffalo  Indians 
were  very  extravagant  in  their  demands,  at  first  claiming  980,000 
acres.  The  Cattaraugus  tribe  wanted  about  650,000  acres;  the  Genesee 
Indians  wanted  two  miles  along  the  river  and  as  many  back;  the  Cana- 
waugus  Indians,  eight  miles  square;  Big  Tree  and  Little  Beard  each 
six  miles  square;  while  Shongo  and  Hudson  wanted  for  the  Carrica- 
dere  (Caneadea)  Indians,  a  tract  fifty  miles  long,  by  six  wide.  Mr. 
Morris  was  assisted  in  the  negotiations  relative  to  the  reservation  by 
Joseph  Ellicott,  and  their  only  way  of  settling  the  matter  was  by 
counciling  with  each  party  separately,  and  a  very  warm  time  they  had  of 
it.  The  greatest  obstacle  to  a  reasonable  adjustment  was  Red  Jacket, 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  37 

who  insisted  upon  a  reservation  which  would  have  included  900,000  acres 
for  the  Buffalo  Indians  alone;  he  was  very  violent  in  their  contention, 
that  their  national  pride  and  character  would  be  lost  unless  they 
retained  that  amount.  Mr.  Morris  declared  that  he  was  unreasonable, 
that  he  had  offered  them  all  the  whole  of  their  land  was  worth,  and 
generously  allowed  them  what  in  reason  they  might  wish  to  retain, 
and  now  after  receiving  pay  for  their  lands,  they  wanted  to  take  half 
of  it  back.  Red  Jacket  persisted,  but  Mr.  Morris  would  not  yield,  said 
his  father  would  call  him  unfaithful,  and  upbraid  him  with  folly  if  he 
did.  Finally  Mr.  Morris  offered  the  Buffaloes  100  square  miles;  which 
they  rejected,  and  told  him  that  "they  were  the  sellers,  and  would  not 
be  told  what  they  would  part  with;  they  would  sell  only  what  they 
pleased."  To  which  he  replied  that  "he  was  the  payer  and  would  only 
pay  for  what  he  pleased."  They  asked  him  how  much  he  proposed  to 
deduct  from  the  $100,000  if  they  would  make  the  reservations  no 
smaller.  He  told  them  $25,000,  to  which  they  consented,  and  begged 
that  it  be  so  put  in  the  writing.  It  was  however  finally  agreed  that 
the  Buffalo  reservation  should  contain  200  square  miles  and  the  $100,- 
000  consideration  remain.  The  extent  and  descriptions  of  the  several 
other  reservations  were  finally  agreed  upon  as  they  appear  in  the 
conveyance.  Red  Jacket  made  the  final  speech  of  the  treaty,  and 
Mr.  Morris  was  requested  to  cover  the  council  fire. 

The  deed  of  conveyance  was  then  prepared,  and  distinctly  read  and 
explained  to  the  Indians.  Colonel  Wadsworth  then  asked  if  they 
understood  it  perfectly.  They  replied  that  they  understood  it  well, 
and  it  was  in  every  respect  agreeable.  They  were  then  asked  to  sign. 
At  this  juncture  Red  Jacket  arose  and  presenting  Ebenezer  Allan's 
daughter,  desired  to  be  informed  as  to  the  situation  of  the  land  the 
nation  had  given  to  Allan  and  his  children.  Mr.  Morris  said  that  his 
father  had  bought  of,  and  paid  Allan  for  it,  and  how  he  was  paying 
the  nation  for  it  again.  The  young  woman  here  interrupted  him  with 
"No,  Mr.  Morris,  it  was  only  the  improvements  he  sold."  To  which 
he  replied  that  "the  papers  would  prove  the  contrary."  She  then  turned 
to  Colonel  Wadsworth  and  said :  "I  forbid  the  commissioners  from 
buying  any  of  the  lands  given  to  me  by  the  Indians."  He  told  her  she 
had  been  wrongly  advised;  that  he  had  nothing  to  do  with  it,  but  that 
for  her  satisfaction  he  would  examine  as  to  her  claim,  and  give  any 
certificate  thereof  that  was  proper,  if  she  would  call  on  him  in  the 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  38 

morning,  Colonel  Wadsworth  then  gave  notice  that  he  would  leave 
early  in  the  morning,  as  he  was  anxious  to  get  home.  And  the  council 
of  the  Big  Tree  was  ended. 

The  names  of  fifty-two  Indians;  sachems,  chiefs  and  warriors  of 
more  or  less  renown,  but  all  in  a  high  degree  representative,  were 
appended  to  the  treaty,  or  deed  of  conveyance,  and  the  property 
conveyed  was  described  as  follows :  '  'All  that  certain  tract  of  land  except 
as  hereinafter  excepted,  lying  within  the  county  of  Ontario,  and  state  of 
New  York,  being  a  part  of  a  tract  of  land,  the  right  of  pre-emption 
whereof  was  ceded  by  the  state  of  New  York  to  the  commonwealth  of 
Massachusetts,  by  deed  of  cession,  executed  at  Hartford  on  the  16th 
day  of  December,  1786,  being  all  such  part  thereof  as  is  not  included  in 
the  Indian  purchase  made  by  Oliver  Phelps  and  Nathaniel  G-orham, 
and  bounded  as  follows  to  wit:  Easterly  by  the  land  confirmed  to 
Oliver  Phelps  and  Nathaniel  G-orham,  by  the  legislature  of  the  com- 
monwealth of  Massachusetts,  by  an  act  passed  the  21st  day  of  Novem- 
ber, 1788;  southerly  by  the  northern  boundary  line  of  the  state  of 
Pennsylvania;  westerly,  partly  by  a  tract  of  land,  part  of  the  land 
ceded  by  the  state  of  Massachusetts,  to  the  United  States,  and  by  them 
sold  to  Pennsylvania,  being  a  right  angled  triangle,  whose  hypothenuse 
is  in  or  along  the  shore  of  Lake  Erie;  partly  by  Lake  Erie,  from  the 
northern  point  of  that  triangle  to  the  southern  bounds  of  a  tract  of 
land  one  mile  in  width,  lying  on,  and  along  the  east  side  of  the  strait  of 
Niagara,  and  partly  by  the  said  tract  to  Lake  Ontario,  and  on  the 
north  by  the  boundary  line  between  the  United  States  and  the  king  of 
Great  Britain,  excepting  nevertheless  and  always  reserving  out  of  this 
grant  and  conveyance,  all  such  pieces  or  parcels  of  the  aforesaid  tract, 
and  such  privileges  thereunto  belonging,  as  are  next  hereinafter  partic- 
ularly mentioned,  which  said  pieces  or  parcels  of  land  so  excepted, 
are  by  the  parties  to  those  presents,  clearly  and  fully  understood  to 
remain  the  property  of  the  said  parties  of  the  first  part,  in  as  full  and 
ample  manner  as  if  these  presents  had  not  been  executed."  Robert 
Morris  signed  by  his  attorney,  Thomas  Morris.  It  was  sealed  and 
delivered  in  presence  of  Nathaniel  W.  Howell,  Joseph  EUicott,  Israel 
Chapin,  James  Rees,  Henry  Aaron  Hills,  Henry  Abeel,  Jasper  Parish 
and  Horatio  Jones,  as  interpreters,  also  witnessed,  and  Jere  Wadsworth 
and  William  Shepard  appended  their  names  to  certificates  thereto. 
The  following  signed  on  the  part  of  the  Seneca  Nation: 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  39 

Koyengquahtah,  alias  Young  King,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Soonookshewan,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Konutalco,  alias  Handsome  Lake,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Sattakanguyase,  alias  Two  Skies  of  a  Length,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Onayawos,  or  Farmer's  Brother,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Sopgooyawautau,  alias  Bed  Jacket,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Gishkaka,  alias  Little  Billy,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Kaoundoowana,  alias  Pollard,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Ouneshalarkau,  or  Tall  Chief,  by  his  agent  Stevenson,  (L.  S.) 

Onnonggarhiko,  alias  Infant,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Teahdowaingqua,  alias  Thomas  Jemison,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S. 

Tekonnondee,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Oneghtaugooan,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Connawaudeau,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Taosslaieffi,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Kocenwahka,  or  Cornplanter,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Oosaukaunendauki,  alias  To  Destroy  a  Town,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Sooloowa,  alias  Parrot  Nose,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Toonahookahwa,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Hirowennounen,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Kounahtaetone,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S. 

Taouyaukauna,  or  Blue  Sky,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Woudougoohkta,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Sonauhquakau, his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Twaunaulyana, his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Takaunondea,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Shequinedaughque,  or  Little  Beard,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Jowao,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Saunajie,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Tauoiyuquatakausea.  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Taoundaudish,  alias  Black  Chief,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Tooauquinda,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Ahtaon,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Taukooshoondakoo,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Kauneskanggo,  alias  Col.  Shongo,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Soononjuwan,  alias  Q-ov.  Blacksnake,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Tonowamya,  or  Capt.  Bullet,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Jaahkaaeyas,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Taughikshanta,  his  X  mark  (L.  S.) 

Sukkenjoonan,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Ahquatieya,  or  Hot  Bread,  his  X  mark  (L.  S.) 

Suggonundan,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Taunowaintooh,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Konnonjoowauna,  alias  Big  Kettle,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Soogooeyandestak,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Haulwananekkan,  by  Young  King,  his  X  mark  (L.  S.) 

Sauwijuwan,  his  X  mark.  (L.  S.) 

Kaunoohshauwen,  his X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Taukouondaugekta,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Kavuyanoughque,  or  John  Jennison,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Holegush,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Taknaahquan,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  40 

The  reservations,  as  finally  agreed  upon,  were  the  Canawagus,  Big 
Tree,  Little  Beards,  Squawkie  Hill,  Gardeau,  each  of  two  square  miles, 
and  Caneadea,  of  sixteen  square  miles,  all  on  the  Genesee  river* 
one  at  the  oil  spring  near  Cuba  of  one  square  mile,  one  at  Allegheny 
river  of  forty-two  square  miles,  and  one  each  at  Buffalo  and  Tona- 
wanda  creeks,  containing  together  two  hundred  square  miles,  and  one 
at  Cattaraugus  of  forty-two  square  miles,  in  all  198,400  acres.  By 
some  inadvertence  the  Oil  Spring  reservation  was  not  enumerated  with 
the  others  in  the  conveyance.  This  was  noticed  by  some  of  the  Indians, 
and  some  accounts  say  a  "big  drunk"  followed,  and  the  Indians 
threatened  to  annul  the  whole  transaction,  unless  the  Oil  Spring  reser- 
vation was  reconveyed  to  them.  The  matter  was  laid  before  Thomas 
Morris,  who  took  a  piece  of  paper,  with  his  own  hand,  wrote  thereon 
such  a  conveyance,  signed  and  executed  it,  and  gave  it  to  Handsome 
Lake,  a  leading  chief,  stating  to  him  its  purport.  Handsome  Lake  died 
soon  after,  and  the  paper  was  never  after  seen.  Having  never  been  re- 
corded the  legal  status  was  the  same  as  at  the  moment  of  the  discovery 
of  the  omission.  The  paper  title  being  in  the  Holland  Land  Company, 
it  was  sold  to  Benjamin  Chamberlain,  Staley  N.  Clark  and  William 
Gallagher.  Gov.  Horatio  Seymour  afterward  held  one-fourth  part  of  it. 
The  Indians  directed  their  attorney,  Daniel  Sherman,  to  begin  an  action 
of  ejectment  against  Philonious  Pattison,  who  had  acquired  the  part  on 
which  was  the  spring,  and  after  considerable  litigation  won  the  case, 
mainly  on  the  testimony  of  Governor  Blacksnake,  who  said  that  for 
years  he  had  kept  in  a  chest  under  his  bed  a  map  made  by  Joseph  Elli- 
cott,  of  the  Indian  lands  sold  at  the  treaty  of  Big  Tree,  with  the  reser- 
vation marked  in  red  ink.  Blacksnake  said  that  Ellicott  presented  the 
map  to  the  Senecas  at  a  council  of  Tonawanda  in  1801,  stating  that  the 
map  contained  a  correct  description  of  the  reservations  made  by  the 
Big  Tree  treaty.  The  question  as  to  the  title  of  the  Indians  to  Oil 
Spring  reservation  has  never  since  been  raised.  It  is  said  that  Gover- 
nor Seymour  utterly  refused  to  take  any  part  in  the  defence  of  the  suit, 
The  title  of  the  Oil  Spring  reservation  is  still  in  the  Seneca  Indians. 
Mary  Jemison  insisted  on  the  Gardeau  reservation  being  described  by 
natural  boundaries  which  she  herself  designated.  It  was  towards  the 
last  of  the  business,  and  Mr.  Morris,  no  doubt  pretty  well  tired  out, 
assented,  under  the  impression,  says  Doty,  that  not  more  than  150  acres 
would  be  included.  When  finally  surveyed,  it  was  found  to  measure 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  41 

17,927  acres,  which  proved  that  she  was  sharp  enough  for  Mr. 
Morris. 

Ebenezer  Allan  did  not  show  tip  in  the  proceedings.  If  present,  he 
kept  shady,  so  to  speak,  and  possibly  was  one  of  that  disturbing  ele- 
ment which  caused  considerable  trouble  during  the  progress  of  nego- 
tiations. The  deed  from  the  Indians  of  the  lands  for  his  daughters  was 
given  to  him  in  trust  for  them.  Yet  it  is  said  that  Allan  sold  and 
conveyed  it  to  Robert  Morris  when  on  a  visit  to  Philadelphia,  that 
Morris  was  aware  of  the  fact,  that  he  had  no  right  to  sell  it,  and  the 
daughters  were  thus  cheated  out  of  their  land. 

On  the  part  of  Mr.  Morris  the  treaty  of  Big  Tree  was  conducted 
with  most  consummate  skill.  With  him  it  was  indeed  a  case  of  must, 
with  the  must  very  much  emphasized.  When  Thomas  Morris  told  the 
Indians,  as  he  did  repeatedly,  in  substance,  that  they  would  never  have 
another  offer  for  their  lands,  he  put  up  the  biggest  kind  of  a  bluff,  for 
no  man  knew  better  than  he,  that  in  the  event  of  failure  of  the  treaty, 
renewed  efforts  would  have  to  be  put  forth  to  secure  the  title  to 
this  land.  The  bluff  probably  had  to  some  extent  at  least  the 
desired  effect,  but  that  it  was  ably  supplemented  by  some  very 
effective  work  on  the  part  of  Thomas  Morris  and  his  friends 
during  the  hiatus  which  interrupted  the  proceedings  there  can 
be  no  doubt.  Robert  Morris  had  plainly  indicated  the  course 
to  pursue,  and  if  Red  Jacket,  Cornplanter,  Little  Billy,  Pollard, 
Farmer's  Brother  and  Young  King  received  gratuities,  pensions  or 
bribes,  ranging  from  $10  to  $250  per  annum  for  their  influence  with  their 
people  to  effect  a  sale,  are  they  any  more  to  be  blamed  than  Thomas 
Morris,  acting  under  the  deliberate  and  explicit  directions  of  his  illus- 
trious father?  In  a  case  of  bribery,  it  is  not  always  easy  to  determine 
which  is  the  guiltier,  the  briber  or  the  bribee. 

It  would  have  made  a  much  fairer  page  of  history,  had  it  not  been 
deemed  necessary  to  resort  to  methods  which  did  not  exactly  square  up 
to  the  requirements  of  absolute  honesty,  yet  for  those  who  sometimes 
justify  questionable  methods  on  the  ground  that  "the  end  justifies  the 
means,"  it  is  of  course  easy  to  condone  the  transaction  on  the  part  of 
Mr.  Morris.  His  strong  arm  and  mighty  services  during  the  years  of 
the  war  for  independence  can  never  be  forgotten,  and  under  the  circum- 
stances it  is  best  perhaps  to  "lay  this  flattering  unction  to  our  souls," 
and  console  ourselves  with  the  comforting  reflection  that  it  was  all 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  42 

overruled  for  the  best  interests  of  humanity.  As  for  the  Indians  let  us 
flatter  ourselves  that  it  was  only  one  of  those  cases  of  the  inevitable, 
so  willed  by  the  Great  Spirit,  and  that  in  the  happy  hunting  grounds 
they  have  met  the  sachems,  chiefs,  warriors,  hunters,  squaws  and 
papooses  of  long  ago  in  regions  more  fair  and  a  country  far  more  beau- 
tiful even  than  this  paradise  of  the  Senecas,  which  they  once  inhabited 
and  over  which  at  Big  Tree  they  higgled  for  a  few  cents  per  acre, 
where  all  is  peace  and  happiness,  and  age  and  decrepitude  cannot  come. 
But  casting  all  reflections  and  observations  aside,  let  us  close  by  saying 
that  the  treaty  of  Big  Tree  was  the  key  which  unlocked  the  gates  of 
this  great  empire  of  forest  and  opened  it  up  to  the  light  of  civilization, 
and  the  glorious  acts  of  peace.  A  great  tide  of  immigration  was  anx- 
iously awaiting  the  issue,  and  hailed  with  delight  the  auspicious 
result. 

The  Holland  Company,  as  it  had  now  come  to  be  called,  hastened 
preparations  for  surveying;  the  transit  meridian,  the  boundary  line 
between  its  purchase  and  the  Morris  reserve,  was  established  in  the 
summer  of  1798,  by  Joseph  and  Benjamin  Elicott;  the  same  season 
Augustus  Porter  ran  the  boundary  lines  of  the  several  reservations; 
George  Burgess  made  a  traverse  of  the  Genesee  river  from  the  great 
elm  at  the  mouth  of  Canandaigua  creek,  to  the  Pennsylvania  line, 
and  many  surveyors  were  soon  employed  in  establishing  meridians,  and 
running  township  and  sub-division  lines.  A  land  office  was  established 
at  Batavia,  maps  of  the  tract  were  placed  where  they  would  do  the  most 
good,  and  glowing  accounts  of  the  wonderful  new  country,  of  its  tim- 
ber, soil,  climate,  productions  and  water,  were  given  in  the  leading 
journals. 

Let  us  witness  a  transformation.  An  army  appears;  not  with 
banners,  but  armed  with  hickory  sticks,  upon  which  are  hung  wedge- 
shaped  pieces  of  glittering  steel,  thin  and  sharp.  Its  ranks  are  filled  with 
stalwart  men,  with  nerves  of  steel,  steady  purpose  and  strong  will.  It 
is  followed  by  log  sleds  and  lumber  wagons,  drawn  mostly  by  oxen, 
and  loaded  with  furniture  becoming  frontier  life,  and  their  wives  and 
children.  All  at  once,  as  if  by  magic,  a  thousand  rude  cabins  appear 
in  as  many  small  openings  in  the  woods.  The  merry  ring  of  the  set- 
tler's ax  is  heard,  and  crash  on  crash  come  thundering  to  the  earth,  the 
proud  monarchs  of  the  forest.  Piles  are  made,  fires  are  lighted,  and 
the  blackened  soil  and  stumps  are  quickly  succceeded  by  fields  of  golden 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  43 

grain.  The  clearings  widen,  comfortable  log  dwellings  and  school- 
houses  appear;  saw  and  grist  and  carding  mills  are  erected,  roads  are 
opened,  streams  are  bridged,  stores  are  put  up  at  the  corners;  postoffices 
and  post-routes  are  established;  the  stage  and  boat  horns  succeed  the 
war-whoop  and  the  wild  yell  of  exultation  of  the  Senecas,  only  soon  to 
be  succeeded  by  the  whistle  of  the  locomotive,  and  the  rattle  and  roar 
of  the  railroad  cars;  and  today  the  territory  of  the  Holland  purchase 
and  Morris  reserve  interlaced  with  more  miles  of  railway  than  it 
had  of  main  Indian  trails  at  the  time  of  the  Big  Tree  treaty,  and  the 
country  is  covered  with  a  network  of  telegraph,  telephone  and  trolley 
wires,  which  is  truly  wonderful.  Before  1850  the  last  howl  of  the  last 
wolf  had  been  heard,  the  deer  disappeared  before  rifle  of  the  pioneer, 
and  the  panther  and  bear  retreated  to  more  secluded  regions,  and  today 
the  log  dwelling  and  the  log  school-house  are  among  "the  things  that 
were,  but  are  not." 

The  mighty  power  of  Niagara  has  been  harnessed,  and  made  to 
subserve  the  purposes  of  man.  Electricity  has  been  impressed  into 
service,  and  optimists  discern  within  its  limits,  in  the  near  future,  the 
greatest  manufacturing  center  of  the  world.  Over  160  townships  and 
distinct  municipalities,  hundreds  of  thriving  villages,  a  full  half -score 
of  bustling  cities,  among  them  the  second  in  the  state,  schools,  churches, 
academies,  seminaries,  colleges  and  universities,  scattered  here  and 
there,  all  conspire  to  give  this  territory  a  position  everything  considered, 
second  to  no  other  of  like  extent  upon  the  continent.  It  is  indeed  a 
heritage  of  which  we  may  be  justly  proud.  Let  us  be  thankful  for  the 
high  privilege  of  living  here  today,  and  fondly  cherish  the  hope  that  the 
hundred  years  to  come  will  abound  more  and  more  with  the  evidences 
of  material,  social  and  religious  prosperity,  and  that  when  the  bi-cen- 
tennial  of  the  Big  Tree  treaty  shall  appear  upon  the  dial  of  the  centur- 
ies, our  successors  may  have  as  good  if  not  better  cause  for  grateful 
commemoration  than  we  have  today. 


REMARKS  OF 

MR.  GEORGE  ROGERS  HOWELL 

AR.  PRESIDENT,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen:— I  have  come  from 
Albany  to  present  for  your  inspection  some  Indian  treaties 
to  be  exhibited  a  little  later.    A  descendant  of  Robert  Mor- 
ris, whose  treaty  with  the  Indians  we  celebrate  this  day, 
Mr.  Gouverneur  Morris  of  Detroit,  has  requested  me  to  present  in  his 
name  to  the  Livingston  County  Historical  Society  this  portrait  of  his 
ancestor.    But  before  everything  else  I  wish  to  present  to  the  village 
of  Geneseo  my  congratulations  that  it  has  in  its  midst  an  orchestra 
and  a  body  of  singers,  all  its  own  citizens,  capable  of  giving  such 
music  as  we  have  heard  this  afternoon,  music  which  would  have  been 
creditable  to  any  body  of  performers  in  any  place. 

This  portrait  of  Robert  Morris  is  a  photograph  of  a  portrait  in  oil 
made  by  Rembrandt  Peale  which  is  considered  by  the  family  to  be  the 
best  of  him  in  existence.  It  is,  and  will  always  be,  valuable  to  the 
Society,  as  it  represents  a  man  and  an  event, — the  man  through  whom 
came  the  possibility  of  your  ancestors  obtaining  homes  in  this  fertile 
valley,  and  the  event,  the  passing  of  the  title  from  the  Indian  to  the 
white  man.  As  we  grade  men  Robert  Morris  was  a  great  man.  He 
was  one  to  whom  was  given  the  ability  to  see  avenues  to  great  fortune 
in  the  undertaking  of  great  affairs.  These  avenues  are  closed  to  the 
eyes  of  most  men.  I  presume  there  are  men  before  me  who  are  not 
millionaires.  Well,  do  not  mourn  over  that  as  if  you  had  failed  to 
improve  the  talents  given  you.  You  may  rest  assured  that  special 
talents  are  as  necessary  to  perceive  and  recognize  avenues  to  great 
wealth  as  truly  as  they  are  to  a  Mendelssohn  to  write  those  incompara- 
ble masterpieces  of  music  that  have  charmed  the  world  for  genera- 
tions. Money  making  is  an  inborn  gift,  an  endowment  by  the 
Almighty,  and  if  you  have  it,  though  born  in  Podunk  or  Cranberry 
Center  you  will  find  your  way  to  the  centers  of  wealth  and  power  and 
population.  But  if  you  have  not  this  peculiar  talent  it  is  no  fault  of 
yours,  and  you  can  be  just  as  happy  without  it,  and  make  that  wife  in 
your  home  just  as  happy  with  your  love  and  care  and  protection. 
Your  children  will  love  you  as  well,  and  the  great  Judge  over  all  will 
be  just  as  ready  to  receive  you  with  the  plaudit  "Well  done"  as  if  you 
had  amassed  millions.  Now,  then,  Robert  Morris  was  a  man  of  large 
affairs,  and  in  laying  the  foundations  of  a  large  personal  fortune  he 
opened  up  an  immense  tract  of  land  to  be  converted  from  a  wilder- 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  45 

ness  to  the  famous  grainfields  of  the  Genesee  valley.  The  forest 
through  your  labors  and  those  of  your  ancestors  has  become  the 
garden  of  the  empire  state. 

But  what  a  drama  had  just  been  enacted  on  the  Atlantic  seaboard 
from  Massachusetts  to  Georgia.  Thirteen  colonies  had  been  governed 
by  a  king  three  thousand  miles  away  across  the  water,  and  little  cared 
king  or  ministry  or  parliament  for  the  sufferings  of  an  over-taxed 
people  so  long  as  the  never-ceasing  stream  of  taxes  and  tithes  from  the 
colonies  flowed  into  the  treasury  at  home.  But  the  time  for  self- 
government  had  come,  freedom  was  in  the  air,  and  the  colonies 
declared  their  independence  and  became  a  nation.  And  then  for  a 
second  time  two  nations  were  battling  for  the  possession  of  half  a 
continent.  It  was  a  life  and  death  struggle,  prolonged  through  suffer- 
ing and  losses,  where  every  home  mourned  a  victim  in  the  cause  of 
liberty.  When  Great  Britain  in  despair  abandoned  the  field,  the  end 
of  the  war  found  the  country  impoverished  and  its  population  deci- 
mated. But  a  new  nation  had  been  born,  where  freedom  had  her 
home  and  flung  wide  open  the  doors  to  the  oppressed  throughout  the 
world. 

And  then  came  the  time  to  repair  the  damages  of  war.  The  young 
men  began  to  look  to  the  fertile  fields  to  the  west  of  the  old  frontiers. 
Here  in  New  York  dwelt  the  Six  Nations,  in  mental  and  physical 
endowments  the  equals  of  the  white  race.  If  their  moral  condition 
was  inferior,  it  was  not  so  many  hundred  years  ago  when  our  ances- 
tors were  no  better.  Recall  to  mind  that  scene  in  Charles  Kingsley's 
Hereward  the  Wake,  where,  after  the  conquest  of  England  by  William 
of  Normandy,  the  Saxons  are  sent  back  to  their  homes  in  the  fens  of 
Lincolnshire  in  boats  rowed  by  men  whose  eyes  had  been  put  out, 
directed  by  men  whose  hands  had  been  lopped  off.  The  Indian  made 
one  great  mistake.  He  did  not  adopt  the  civilization  of  the  white 
race.  Emerson  enjoins  the  man  who  aspires  for  better  things  to  hitch 
his  wagon  to  a  star,  but  the  poor  Indian  took  to  the  woods.  But  the 
earth  was  not  given  as  an  inheritance  to  man  for  hunting.  The 
human  race  long  ago  discovered  it  was  easier  to  take  one's  dinner  from 
the  beef-barrel  in  the  cellar  than  to  seek  it  running  wild  in  the  woods. 
The  earth  does  her  best  under  cultivation  and  a  race  of  hunters  must 
always  give  way  to  tillers  of  the  soil.  Even  now  the  solution  of  the 
Indian  problem  is,  along  with  education,  to  assign  land  to  them  in 
severalty,  and  then  compel  them  to  adopt  the  ways  of  cizilization. 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  46 

Mr.  Howell  then  exhibited  three  treaties: 

1.  A  copy  of   the  treaty  of  Robert  Morris  with  the  Indians  Sept. 
16, 1797,  when  for  $100,000  he  obtained  possession  of   the  tract  of  the 
Senecas.    This  was  made  in  duplicate  at  the  same  time  (1797)  and 
deposited  in  the  archives  of  the  state. 

2.  A  second  treaty  of   the  Senecas  with  the  state  of  New  York 
wherein  they  surrendered  for  $500  a  strip  of  land  a  mile  wide  bordering 
the  east  bank  of  the  Niagara  river,  of  date  Aug.  20,  1802. 

3.  The  original  treaty  of  the  Oneidas  Sept.   22,  1788,  when  they 
ceded  all  their  lands  except  a  small  reservation  for  themselves  to   the 
state  of  New  York  to  which  is  attached  a  belt  of  wampum.    This  was 
signed  by  the  chiefs  and   sachems  of  the   Oneidas.    These   deeds  or 
treaties  are  all  in  the  New  York  State  Library. 


AT  THE  BANQUET 


ADDRESS  BY  TOASTMASTER 
S,  E,  HITCHCOCK 

/"Y\  EMBERS  of  the  Livingston  County  Historical  Society, 
I  I  Guests,  and  Friends: — I  shall  trespass  but  a  moment  upon 
1*1  your  patience  owing  to  the  lateness  of  the  hour;  but  I  should 
*  \  be  false  to  my  duty  as  well  as  to  my  inclination  if  I  failed 

to  give  expression  to  the  feeling  which  I  know  is  at  this  moment  upper- 
most in  the  minds  of  all  present,  that  of  sorrow  for  the  enforced 
absence  of  our  honored  President.  Detained  by  illness  in  a  distant 
state,  we  know  that  his  heart  goes  out  to  us  in  best  wishes  for  our 
welfare  and  for  the  success  of  our  celebration.  And  our  thoughts  go 
out  to  him  laden  with  regret  at  his  absence  and  wishes  for  his  speedy 
restoration  to  health. 

One  hundred  years  ago  today  the  G-enesee  Valley  was  the  scene  of 
a  momentous  event.  It  was  the  dawning  of  what  we,  in  the  hurry  and 
bustle  of  the  closing  hours  of  the  nineteenth  century,  call  civilization. 
It  was  the  closing  of  the  deep  and  solemn  reign  of  the  civilization  of 
Nature.  It  was  the  passing  of  this  valley  into  the  hands  of  the  white 
man.  who  should  cause  it  to  teem  with  busy  towns  and  fruitful  fields. 
It  was  the  passing  out  of  the  hands  of  those  to  whom  the  Almighty 
had  intrusted  it,  so  far  as  we  know,  since  the  morning  stars  sang 
together. 

Gathered  as  we  are  gathered  in  commemoration,  it  is  fitting  that 
our  thoughts  should  be  carried  directly  to  that  great  event,  and  I 
therefore  propose  as  our  first  toast,  "The  Treaty  of  Big  Tree — Its  Moral 
and  Material  Influence." 


RESPONSE  BY 

COL,  JOHN  R.  STRANG 

The  Treaty  of  Big  Tree— Its  Moral  and  Material  Influence. 

THE  OPENING  of  Western  New  York  to  settlement  and  civiliza- 
tion did  not  in  precise  terms  depend  upon  the  ratification  of  the 
Big  Tree  Treaty,  because,  before  that  was  made  in  1797,  there 
was  already  a  considerable  settlement  of  white  people  within 
the  limits  of  the  lands  transferred  by  it  to  Robert  Morris,  the  first 
white  settler  in  this  town  being  as  early  as  1789,  and  several  of  the 
prominent  early  pioneers  having  purchased  lands  and  taken  up  their 
residence  within  the  town  between  that  date  and  1797.  But  its  ratifi- 
cation was  a  throwing  wide  open  of  the  gate  for  the  advancing  tide  of 
settlement  and  civilization,  in  consequence  of  the  ability  thereafter  to 
procure  a  perfect  title  to  land  which  had  theretofore  been  held  by  Mor- 
ris under  an  imperfect  Indian  title.  After  the  purchase  from  the  In- 
dians at  the  close  of  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  the  extinguishment  of 
the  Massachusetts  title  to  large  parts  of  the  lands  in  Western  New 
York,  Morris  had  contracted  to  sell  various  portions  of  the  vast  tract 
so  acquired,  to  various  persons  in  this  and  other  lands,  binding  himself 
to  procure  the  extinguishment  of  the  Indian  title  within  a  given  period. 
As  before  remarked,  the  extinguishment  of  the  Indian  title  made  all 
these  conveyances  good,  and  the  purchasers  were  able  to  hold  and  con- 
vey the  entire  fee  of  the  lands.  The  attention  of  a  large  part  of  the 
Northern  States,  particularly  New  England  and  Pennsylvania,  had 
been  already  called  to  the  beauty  and  fertility  of  the  land  in  the  Grene- 
see  Valley  and  other  parts  of  Western  New  York,  and  no  sooner  was 
the  treaty  of  Big  Tree  signed  than  the  tide  of  emigration  set  in  to 
Western  New  York,  especially  from  New  England,  Pennsylvania  and 
Maryland,  and  before  the  lapse  of  many  years,  large  tracts  of  these 
fertile  lands,  which  have  since  become  the  garden  of  the  continent, 
passed  into  possession  and  occupancy  of  actual  settlers  from  the  states 
named. 

It  was  the  best  class  of  population  with  which  to  found  and  estab- 
lish a  new  country,  the  settlers  bringing  with  them  the  customs  and 
habits  of  thrift  and  industry,  and  the  moral  and  religious  characteris- 
tics, which  prevailed  in  the  homes  from  which  they  came,  added  to 
which  was  the  spirit  of  enterprise,  which  induced  them  to  seek  out 
and  make  their.homes  in  this,  then  so  distant  a  country.  In  after  years 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  51 

other  circumstances  brought  into  their  midst  a  large  number  of  Scotch- 
Irish  settlers,  whole  towns  in  Western  New  York  coming  to  be  inhab- 
ited by  the  latter,  some  of  whom  were  from  the  parent  country,  and 
others  from  the  eastern  part  of  the  state  of  New  York.  These  various 
nationalities  and  classes  of  people  soon  assimilated  and  became  a  homo- 
geneous people,  carefully  rearing  and  nursing  in  their  midst  all  that 
tended  toward  education,  enlightenment  and  civilization,  and  as  we 
trace  down  the  years  since  the  beginning  of  the  century,  we  cannot 
fail  to  notice  how  the  Valley  of  the  G-enesee,  and  indeed  the  whole  of 
Western  New  York,  has  ever  been  prominent  in  educational  matters 
and  in  all  things  which  tended  to  lift  up  and  ennoble  the  mass  of  the 
people.  Commerce  and  manufactures  soon  had  a  steadfast  foothold 
among  them ;  canals  and  railroads  afforded  them  access  to  market  and 
a  means  of  intercommunication  among  themselves,  and  as  the  result, 
we  have  today  in  the  western  part  of  this  state,  a  country  of  which 
every  one  of  its  citizens  must  be  proud,  which  contains  within  the 
limits  of  the  very  land  covered  by  the  treaty  of  Big  Tree,  two  of  the 
most  prosperous  cities  of  the  state,  inhabited  by  at  least  half  a  million 
of  people,  to  say  nothing  of  the  beautiful  villages,  hamlets  and  homes, 
with  which  the  whole  land  is  now  covered. 

In  the  few  moments  which  I  have  at  my  disposal  to  respond  to  this 
toast,  I  cannot  enter  into  details  further,  but  have  already  given  suffi- 
cient to  indicate  the  moral  and  material  influence  which  the  ratifica- 
tion of  the  treaty  of  Big  Tree  had  on  Western  New  York,  and  must 
close  by  saying  that  the  land  which  in  1797  was  inhabited  substantially 
only  by  Indians,  and  whose  millions  of  fertile  acres  were  unused  and 
uncultivated,  and  under  the  foliage  of  whose  forest  trees  this  treaty 
was  discussed  and  signed,  has  by  the  character,  thrift  and  energy  of  its 
settlers,  guided  and  directed  by  the  first  pioneers,  become  the  home  of 
education,  civilization  and  refinement,  and  made  to  blossom  as  a  rose. 


RESPONSE  BY 

HON,  GOUVERNEUR  MORRIS 

Robert  Morris — "A  Friend  in  Need  is  a  Friend  Indeed." 

IKE  all  great  men,  Robert  Morris  had  his  calumniators,  but  his 
whole  life  was  open  and  above  petty  things,   and  his  whole 
•^^     course  during  the  trying  time  of  our  revolution  showed  him  to 
^W  be  a  man  fearless  in  the  path  of  duty,  and  too  noble  to  deign  to 
notice   the   trivial  charges   that  are  always  the  lot  of  public  men. 
His  patriotism  and  sacrifices  for  his  country  during  the  revolution,  and 
his  close  friendship  with  Washington  are  matters  of  history,  and  it 
may  well  be  said  that  our  revolution  might  have  failed  without  Wash- 
ington, but  must  have  failed  without  Morris. 

Both  to  the  Colony  of  Pennsylvania  and  to  the  United  States  he 
gave  his  time  and  credit  at  great  sacrifice  to  his  own  business  interests 
and  personal  comfort,  and  he  was  always  found  ready  in  the  time  of 
need.  On  the  formation  of  the  government  in  1781  he  was  unanimously 
elected  Superintendent  of  Finances,  at  a  time  when  the  exhausted  credit 
of  the  government  threatened  the  most  alarming  consequences;  when  the 
army  was  utterly  destitute  of  the  necessary  supplies  of  food  and  cloth- 
ing, and  even  the  confidence  of  Washington  was  shaken,  Robert  Morris, 
upon  his  own  credit,  and  from  his  own  private  resources,  furnished 
those  pecuniary  means,  without  which  all  the  physical  force  of  the 
country  would  have  been  in  vain. 

The  following  letter  conveying  his  sentiments  in  relation  to  the 
high  trust  reposed  in  him  was  submitted  to  Congress  and  is  worthy  of 
being  produced  here,  also  his  formal  acceptance  of  the  office  : 

Philadelphia,  13th  March,  1781. 

His  Excellency,  the  President  of  Congress — Sir  :  I  had  the  honour  to 
receive  your  excellency's  letter  of  the  twenty -first  of  last  month,  en- 
closing the  act  of  congress  of  the  twentieth,  whereby  I  am  appointed, 
by  an  unanimous  election  of  that  honourable  body,  to  the  important 
office  of  "Superintendent  of  Finance."  Perfectly  sensible  of  the  honour 
done  me  by  this  strong  mark  of  confidence  from  the  sovereign  author- 
ity of  the  United  States,  I  feel  myself  bound  to  make  the  acknowledg- 
ments due  by  pursuing  a  conduct  formed  to  answer  the  expectations 
of  congress,  and  promote  the  public  welfare.  Were  my  abilities  equal 
to  my  desire  of  serving  America,  I  should  have  given  an  immediate 
determination  after  this  appointment  was  made  ;  but,  conscious  of  my 
own  deficiences,  time  for  consideration  was  absolutely  necessary.  Lit- 
tle, however,  of  the  time  which  has  elapsed,  have  I  been  able  to  devote 
to  this  subject,  as  the  business  before  the  legislature  of  Pennsylvania 
(wherein  I  have  the  honour  of  a  seat,)  has  demanded,  and  continues 
to  demand,  my  constant  attendance. 


H0\.  GOUVERNEUR  MORRIS 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  53 

So  far  as  the  station  of  Superintendent  of  Finance,  or  indeed  any 
other  public  station  of  office,  applies  to  myself,  I  should,  without  the 
least  hesitation  have  declined  an  acceptance ;  for  after  upwards  of 
twenty  years  assiduous  application  to  business  as  a  merchant,  I  find 
myself  at  that  period  when  my  mind,  body,  and  inclination,  combine 
to  make  me  seek  for  relaxation  and  ease.  Providence  has  so  far  smiled 
on  my  endeavors  as  to  enable  me  to  prepare  for  the  indulgence  of  those 
feelings,  in  such  manner  as  would  be  least  injurious  to  the  interests  of 
my  family.  If,  therefore,  I  accept  this  appointment,  a  sacrifice  of  that 
ease,  of  much  social  and  domestic  enjoyment,  and  of  my  material  in- 
terests, must  be  the  inevitable  consequence  :  And,  as  my  ambition  was 
entirely  gratified  by  my  present  situation  and  character  in  life,  no 
motive  of  that  kind  can  stimulate  me  to  acceptance.  Putting  myself 
out  of  the  question  the  sole  motive  is  the  public  good  ;  arid  this  motive, 
I  confess,  comes  home  to  my  feelings.  The  contest  we  are  engaged  in, 
appeared  to  me,  in  the  first  instance,  just  and  necessary  ;  therefore  I 
took  an  active  part  in  it ;  as  it  became  dangerous,  I  thought  it  the 
more  glorious,  and  was  stimulated  to  the  greatest  exertions  in  my 
power  when  the  affairs  of  America  were  at  the  worst.  Sensible  of  the 
want  of  arrangement  in  our  monied  affairs,  the  same  considerations 
impel  me  to  this  undertaking,  which  I  would  embark  in  without  hesi- 
tation, could  I  believe  myself  equal  thereto  ;  but  fearing  this  may  not 
be  the  case,  it  becomes  indispensably  necessary  to  make  such  stipula- 
tions as  may  give  ease  to  my  feelings,  aid  to  my  exertions  and  tend  to 
procure  ample  support  to  my  conduct  in  office,  so  long  as  it  is  founded 
in,  and  guided  by,  a  regard  to  the  public  prosperity. 

In  the  first  place,  then,  I  am  to  inform  congress,  that  the  prepara- 
tory steps  I  had  taken  to  procure  to  myself  relaxation  from  business 
with  least  injury  to  the  interests  of  my  family,  were  by  engaging  in 
certain  commercial  establishments  with  persons  in  whom  I  had  perfect 
confidence,  as  to  their  integrity,  honour  and  abilities.  These  establish- 
ments I  am  bound  in  honour,  and  by  contracts,  to  support  to  the  extent 
agreed  on.  If,  therefore,  it  be  in  the  idea  of  congress,  that  the  office  of 
superintendent  of  finance  is  incompatible  with  commercial  concerns 
and  connexions,  the  point  is  settled  ;  for  I  cannot,  on  any  consideration, 
consent  to  violate  engagements,  or  depart  from  those  principles  of 
honour  which  it  is  my  pride  to  be  governed  by.  If,  on  the  contrary, 
congress  have  elected  me  to  this  office  under  the  expectation  that  my 
mercantile  connexions  and  engagements  were  to  continue,  an  express 
declaration  of  their  sentiments  should  appear  on  the  minutes,  that  no 
doubt  may  arise,  or  reflection  be  cast,  on  this  score  hereafter. 

I  also  think  it  indispensably  necessary  that  the  appointment  of  all 
persons  who  are  to  act  in  my  office,  (under  the  same  roof,  or  in  imme- 
diate connexion  with  me,)  should  be  made  by  myself;  congress  first 
agreeing  that  such  secretaries,  clerks  or  officers,  so  to  be  appointed, 
are  necessary,  and  fixing  the  salaries  for  each.  I  conceive  that  it  will 
be  impossible  to  execute  the  duties  of  this  office  with  effect,  unless  the 
absolute  power  of  dismissing  from  office,  or  employment,  all  persons 
whatever  that  are  concerned  in  the  official  expenditure  of  public 
monies,  be  committed  to  the  superintendent  of  finance  ;  for,  unless  this 
power  can  be  exercised  without  control,  I  have  little  hopes  of  efficacy 
in  the  business  of  reformation,  which  is  probably  the  most  essential 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  54 

part  of  the  duty.  These  being  the  only  positive  stipulations  that  occur 
to  me  at  this  time,  the  determination  of  congress  thereon  will  enable 
me  to  determine  whether  to  accept  or  decline  the  appointment.  I  must, 
however,  observe,  that  the  act  of  congress  of  February,  describing  the 
duties  of  the  superintendent  of  finance,  requires  the  execution  of  many 
things  for  which  adequate  powers  are  not  provided ;  and  it  cannot  be 
expected  that  your  officer  can,  in  such  case,  be  responsible.  These, 
however,  may  be  the  subjects  of  future  discussions. 

With  sentiments  of  the  highest  respect  for  you  and  congress,   I 
have  the  honour  to  subscribe  myself 

Your  Excellency's  most  obedient  and  humble  serv't, 

Robert  Morris. 


Philadelphia,  May  14,  1781. 

Sir : — The  honour  conferred  by  congress  in  appointing  me  super- 
intendent of  finance,  their  several  resolutions  of  the  twentieth  of  March, 
twenty-first  and  twenty-seventh  of  April,  which  your  excellency  has 
been  pleased  to  transmit,  and  a  serious  conviction  of  that  duty  which 
every  citizen  owes  to  his  country,  especially  in  times  of  public  calamity, 
will  no  longer  permit  me  to  hesitate  about  the  acceptance  of  that  office, 
although  I  must  again  repeat  that  I  have  the  fullest  sense  of  my  own 
inability.  I  shall,  however,  strive  to  find  such  assistance  as  will  enable 
me,  in  some  measure,  to  answer  the  reasonable  expectations  of  congress, 
to  whom  I  can  promise  for  myself  nothing  more  than  honest  industry. 
You  will  readily  perceive  that  much  time  must  be  consumed  in  procur- 
ing proper  officers,  fixing  on  men  for  assistants  whose  ability  and 
integrity  may  be  depended  upon,  in  laying  plans  for  obtaining  money 
with  the  greatest  ease  for  the  people,  and  expending  it  to  the  greatest 
advantage  of  the  public,  forming  arrangements  necessary  to  carry 
their  plans  into  execution,  and  obtaining  information  as  to  the  present 
state  of  things,  in  order  that  abuses  may  be,  if  possible,  speedily  and 
effectually  remedied.  Besides  this,  it  will  be  necessary  that  I  should 
confer  with  the  commander-in-chief  on  the  various  expenditures  of  the 
war,  and  the  means  of  retrenching  such  as  are  unnecessary.  Let  me 
add  that  the  account  of  my  private  business  must  be  adjusted,  so  as 
that  all  my  affairs  may  be  put  into  the  hands  of  other  persons  and 
subjected  to  their  management.  My  necessary  commercial  connex- 
ions, notwithstanding  the  decided  sense  of  congress  expressed  in  their 
resolution  of  the  twentieth  March,  might,  if  the  business  were  trans- 
acted by  myself,  give  rise  to  illiberal  reflections  equally  painful  to  me, 
and  injurious  to  the  public.  This  reason  alone  would  deserve  great 
attention;  but  further  I  expect  that  my  whole  time,  study,  and  atten- 
tion, will  be  necessarily  devoted  to  the  various  business  of  my  depart- 
ment. 

Having  thus  stated  some  of  the  causes  which  will  prevent  me 
from  immediately  entering  on  the  arduous  task  assigned  me,  I  pray 
leave  to  call  the  attention  of  congress  to  the  advanced  season,  and  then 
I  am  persuaded  their  own  good  sense  will  render  it  unnecessary  for  me 
to  observe  that  very  little  can  be  expected  from  my  exertions  during  the 
present  campaign ;  they  will  therefore,  easily  perceive  the  propriety  of 
the  request  I  am  to  make,  that  the  business  may  go  on  according  to 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  55 

the  present  arrangements,  or  such  other  as  congress  may  devise  until  I 
can  take  it  up,  which  I  promise  to  do  as  speedily  as  possible.  By  this 
means  I  may  be  enabled  so  to  dispose  of  the  several  members  of  my 
department  as  to  form  them  into  a  regular  system ;  whereas,  by  throw- 
ing the  whole  immediately  upon  me,  I  shall  be  inevitably  involved  in  a 
labyrinth  of  confusion  from  which  no  human  efforts  can  ever  extricate 
me. 

Another  consideration  of  great  magnitude,  to  which  I  must  also 
pray  the  attention  of  congress,  is  the  present  public  debts.  I  am  sure 
that  no  gentleman  can  hope  that  these  should  be  immediately  paid  out 
of  an  empty  treasury.  If  I  am  to  receive  and  consider  the  application 
on  that  subject,  if  I  am  to  be  made  responsible,  that  alone,  will,  I  fear, 
be  full  employment  for  the  life  of  one  man,  and  some  other  must  be 
chosen  to  attend  to  the  present,  and  provide  for  the  future.  But  this  is 
not  all :  if,  from  that  or  from  any  other  cause,  I  am  forced  to  commit 
a  breach  of  faith,  or  even  to  incur  the  appearance  of  it,  from  that 
moment  my  utility  ceases. 

In  accepting  the  office  bestowed  on  me,  I  sacrifice  much  of  my 
interest,  my  ease,  my  domestic  enjoyments,  and  internal  tranquillity. 
If  I  know  my  own  heart,  I  make  these  sacrifices  with  a  disinterested 
view  to  the  service  of  my  country. 

I  am  ready  to  go  still  further  ;  and  the  United  States  may  com- 
mand everything  I  have  except  my  integrity,  and  the  loss  of  that  would 
effectually  disable  me  from  serving  them  more. 

What  I  have  to  pray,  then,  is,  that  the  adjustment  of  all  my  trans- 
actions, and  of  all  that  relates  to  the  present  system,  may  be  completed 
by  the  modes  already  adopted,  that  whatever  remains  unpaid  may 
become  a  funded  debt,  and  that  it  may  in  that  form  be  committed  to 
me  to  provide  for  the  yearly  interest,  and  for  the  eventual  discharge  of 
the  principal.  This  task  I  will  cheerfully  undertake,  and  if  in  the 
progress  of  things,  I  am  enabled  to  go  further,  with  equal  cheerfulness 
it  shall  be  done  :  but  I  must  again  repeat  my  serious  conviction  that 
the  least  breach  of  faith  must  ruin  us  forever.  It  is  not  from  vanity 
that  I  mention  the  expectations  which  the  public  seemed  to  have 
formed  from  my  appointment ;  on  the  contrary,  I  am  persuaded  they 
are  raised  on  a  weak  foundation,  and  I  must  lament  them  because  I 
foresee  that  they  must  be  disappointed.  I  must,  therefore,  entreat 
that  no  nattering  prospect  of  immediate  relief  be  raised. 

Congress  well  knows  that  the  public  credit  cannot  be  restored 
without  method,  economy,  and  punctual  performance  of  contracts. 
Time  is  necessary  to  each  ;  and  therefore  the  removal  of  those  evils  we 
labour  under  can  be  expected  from  time  only.  To  hold  out  a  different 
idea  would  deceive  the  people,  and  consequently  injure  the  public 
service. 

I  am  sure  it  is  unnecessary  to  add,  before  I  close  this  letter,  that  I 
confidently  expect  my  measures  will  meet  with  the  fullest  support  from 
congress,  so  long  as  they  are  honestly  directed  to  the  general  welfare. 
In  this  conviction,  and  with  every  sentiment  of  respectful  attention, 
I  have  the  honor  to  be, 

Your  Excellency's  most  obedient  and  humble  servant, 

Robert  Morris. 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  56 

Robert  Morris  was  remarkable  for  his  domestic  habits  ;  and  in  his 
intercourse  with  his  family  and  friends,  and,  indeed,  with  general 
society,  no  one  made  greater  exertions  to  do  kind  offices.  His  great 
cheerfulness  and  benevolence  attracted  the  esteem  of  a  numerous  circle 
of  acquaintance,  and  the  veneration  of  the  people.  Independent  in  his 
principles  and  conduct,  he  never  courted  the  countenance  of  living 
man.  Warmly  devoted  to  his  friends,  he  was  almost  idolized  by  them, 
but  especially  by  those  who  were  particularly  dear  to  him — Alexander 
Hamilton  and  Gouverneur  Morris.  Whenever  Washington  came  to 
Philadelphia  his  first  visit  was  to  Robert  Morris. 

I  think  I  can  safely  leave  it  to  future  historians  to  vindicate  his 
honor  and  unselfishness,  and  repel  any  aspersions  upon  his  course, 
most  of  them  the  product  of  jealousy  and  vindictiveness.  He  was 
utterly  free  from  selfish  ambition  and  was  willing  to  retire  when  his 
work  was  done.  The  time  must  come  when  our  country  will  properly 
appreciate  his  services  and  recognize  in  a  proper  manner  his  worth. 


ANDREW  JOHN 


RESPONSE  BY 
ANDREW  JOHN 

fY\  R-  PRESIDENT,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen :  It  is  the  greatest 
I  1  pleasure  to  me  that  the  Managers  of  the  Livingston  Connty 
I  *  1  Historical  Society,  extend  their  invitation  to  onr  Indian 
^  ^  people  to  participate  at  this  commemoration  of  one  hundred 

years  ago  today  of  our  forefather's  signing,  known  as  "The  Treaty  of 
Big  Tree,"  and  the  Seneca  Indians  responded  who  are  now  present  at 
this  occasion  of  which  I  am  proud  to  be  one  of  the  members,  whom 
represented  now  of  the  said  party  of  the  first  part  to  this  great  Treaty. 
Though  the  people  who  signed  this  treaty  have  past  away  to  the  happy 
hunting  grounds,  and  their  descendants  now  today  gathered  here — the 
very  grounds  where  our  ancestors  negotiated  which  involve  a  large 
amount  of  land. 

At  that  time  our  people,  the  Indians,  ceded  a  large  tract  of  land 
known  as  Western  New  York  for  a  mere  nominal  sum  of  money  for 
the  consideration,  excepting  and  reserving  to  the  Indians  certain  privi- 
leges and  reservations  mentioned  in  treaty.  This  sale  of  land  from 
the  Indians  to  Robert  Morris  contained  a  large  tract  of  land,  for  one 
hundred  thousand  dollars.  The  Seneca  Indians  are  getting  only  six 
thousand  dollars  interest  per  annum  at  present,  while  the  white  people 
occupying  the  land  mentioned  in  said  Big  Tree  Treaty  are  getting 
millions  and  millions  of  dollars  interest.  From  the  standpoint  of  my 
race  many  incidents  of  the  most  disgraceful  tricks  and  robberies  perpe- 
trated upon  the  poor  untutored  sons  of  the  forest.  Still  the  Seneca 
Indians  are  happy  and  clinging  upon  the  agreements  and  solemn  obli- 
gations mentioned  in  the  treaties  under  which  they  are  protected  and 
are  now  enjoying  within  the  borders  of  this  great  Empire  State. 

Let  us  now  look  over  some  of  the  history  of  way  back.  It  would 
have  been  strange  indeed  if  the  Natives  had  borne  tamely  such  whole- 
sale robbery  of  their  property,  but  early  in  the  story  begins  a  worse 
record.  In  1623,  a  company  of  worthless  white  indented  servants  in 
Massachusetts,  after  robbing  the  cornfields  of  the  people  of  Plymouth, 
changed  their  quarters  and  dispersed  in  little  parties,  prowled  around 
like  tramps,  begging  and  stealing  from  the  Indians.  Had  they  been 
red  savages  and  the  whites  the  sufferers  from  such  depredations,  their 
exterminations  would  have  been  regarded  as  a  bounden  duty,  for  in  a 
new  country  such  men  deserve  no  mercy.  But  they  were  Englishmen, 
and  when  news  was  brought  from  Plymouth  that  the  Natives,  tired  of 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  58 

their  thefts,  were  plotting  for  their  destruction,  the  outrage  was 
deemed  unpardonable.  Miles  Standish,  with  eight  companions  visited 
the  Indian  settlement,  "under  the  pretense  of  trade."  Enticing  the 
leading  Chief  with  three  of  his  followers  into  a  cabin,  the  door  was 
closed  and  the  Christians  murdered  the  heathen  in  cold  blood.  This 
was  the  transaction  that  in  the  words  of  a  learned  historian  "excited 
some  misgivings"  in  the  mind  of  John  Robinson.  Events  like  this, 
with  which  the  early  history  of  America  is  replete  roused  the  indigna- 
tion of  the  Natives  from  Massachusetts  to  Georgia,  and  resulted  in  the 
feeling  which  has  been  stigmatized  as  the  "inextinguishable  hatred 
which  the  red  men  felt  for  the  white  intruder."  But  crimes  of  this 
character  were  not  the  worst  that  were  perpetrated  upon  the  Natives. 
We  hold  up  our  hands  in  horror  of  the  tortures  practiced  by  the 
Indians  on  their  prisoners.  In  1637  the  Christian  white  men  of  Con- 
necticut put  a  red  captive  to  death  by  tearing  him  limb  from  limb 
with  ropes  fastened  to  his  legs  and  arms.  How,  during  the  war 
with  King  Philip  the  whites  burned  the  savages  in  their  wigwams, 
driving  them  back  into  the  flames  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  and  how 
they  murdered  the  women  and  children  is  known  to  every  student. 
But  robbing,  torture  and  massacre  all  pale  before  the  crowning  infamy 
which  drove  the  Natives  to  despair.  The  most  distinguishing  trait  of 
the  Indian  was  his  love  of  personal  freedom.  He  knew  no  Master, 
and  recognized  no  Lord,  save  as  in  a  dull  vague  way  he  looked  up  to 
the  Great  Spirit. 

The  league  of  the  Six  Nations  or  Iroquois,  as  the  French  termed 
them  when  they  spoke  of  this  Indian  Confederacy,  was  the  most  re- 
markable people  in  wisdom,  oratory,  political  and  the  knowledge  of  the 
country  during  the  early  days  when  their  glory  was  in  full  blast.  The 
vast  territory  of  country  upon  which  they  had  immediate  control  com- 
prises north  by  St.  Lawrence,  east  by  Atlantic  Ocean,  south  by  Ten- 
nessee, west  by  Mississippi  river,  from  this  vast  territory  of  country 
reduced  that  the  control  now  at  present  by  the  Seneca  Nation  of  In- 
dians in  the  western  part  of  this  state  about  fifty-five  thousand  acres  of 
land. 

In  speaking  of  the  "Treaty  of  Big  Tree"  on  the  part  of  the  party 
of  the  first  part  of  which  we  are  now  represented  here  today  are  now 
enjoying  upon  one  of  the  reservations  reserved  and  the  interest  money 
from  the  United  States  treasury  annually  to  the  Senecas,  in  pursuance 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  59 

to  the  agreements  of  this  Treaty,  in  relation  to  this  Big  Tree  Treaty  of 
which  we  are  now  celebrating  today  a  Centennial,  I  will  now  show 
and  hold  up  in  my  hands  an  original  letter  from  the  United  States  to 
the  Senecas,  the  same  reads  as  follows  : 

War  Department,  May  14,  1798. 

Brothers  : — By  the  Indenture  made  between  you  and  Robert  Mor- 
ris, Esquire,  under  th«  authority  of  the  United  States  at  Gennessee,  in 
the  County  of  Ontario  in  the  State  of  New  York,  on  the  15th  day  of 
September,  1797,  in  consideration  of  One  Hundred  Thousand  Dollars, 
to  be  by  the  said  Robert  Morris,  vested  in  the  stock  of  the  Bank  of  the 
United  States,  and  held  in  the  name  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States  for  the  use  and  behoof  of  the  Seneca  Nation  of  Indians. 
You  bargained  and  sold  a  large  tract  of  country  mentioned  in  the  said 
Indenture  to  the  said  Robert  Morris,  excepting  nevertheless,  and 
always  reserving  out  of  this  Grant  and  Conveyance  all  such  pieces 
or  parcels  of  the  aforesaid  tract  and  such  privileges  thereunto  belong- 
ing, as  therein  afterwards  particularly  mentioned,  which  said  pieces 
or  parcels  of  land  so  excepted,  are  by  the  parties  to  the  presents  clearly 
and  fully  understood  to  remain  the  property  of  the  Seneca  Nation  in 
as  full  and  ample  a  manner  as  if  the  presents  had  not  been  executed. 
It  being  also  provided  by  the  same  instrument,  as  understood  by 
the  parties,  that  all  such  pieces  or  parcels  of  land  as  are  thereby  reser- 
ved, and  are  not  particularly  described  as  to  the  manner  in  which  the 
same  are  to  be  laid  off,  shall  be  laid  off  in  such  a  manner  as  shall  be 
determined  by  the  Sachems  and  Chiefs,  residing  at  or  near  the  respect- 
ive villages  where  such  Reservations  are  made,  a  particular  whereof  to 
be  endorsed  on  the  back  of  the  deed  and  recorded  with  the  same. 

I  write  this  letter  by  order  of  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
to  inform  the  Seneca  Nation  of  Indians  that  the  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  being  the  consideration  money  in  the  Indenture  mentioned  has 
been  vested  conformably  to  the  intention  of  said  instrument,  and  that 
the  President  being  thereof  satisfied,  hath  by  and  with  the  consent 
and  advice  of  the  Senate,  accepted,  ratified  and  confirmed  the  Conven- 
tion or  Treaty  aforesaid.  And  that  Joseph  Ellicott,  a  beloved  man, 
skilled  in  surveying  has  been  employed  to  lay  off  the  Reservations, 
excepted  and  made  in  the  aforesaid  Deed.  To  him,  therefore,  the 
Sachems  and  Chiefs  concerned  will  give  their  directions  for  laying  off 
the  same. 

I  am  also  to  assure  the  Seneca  Nation  that  Joseph  Ellicott  is  a 
gentleman  of  integrity,  and  that  the  Nation  may  confide  to  him  the 
laying  off  of  the  Reservations  aforesaid,  having  no  doubt  he  will  exe- 
cute the  trust  with  fidelity  and  impartial  justice. 

Dividends  upon  the  Stock  of  the  Bank  of  the  United  States  pur- 
chased with  the  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  for  the  use  and  behoof 
•of  the  Seneca  Nation  of  Indians,  will  be  paid  half  yearly,  the  first 
dividend  about  the  middle  of  July  next,  which  will  be  remitted  to  the 
Seneca  Nation  in  such  manner  as  they  shall  direct,  and  their  orders 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  60 

for  the  remittance  of  future  dividends  when  they  are  paid,  will  be 
always  attended  to. 

Wishing  you  health,  I  am,  Brothers, 

Your  friend  and  obedient  servant, 

James  McHenry, 

Sec'y  of  War. 
To  the  Chiefs  and  Sachems  of  the  Seneca  Nation. 

We  perceived  by  the  foregoing  letter  how  careful  and  watchful 
by  the  President  of  the  United  States  for  the  welfare  and  interest  for 
the  Seneca  Indians.  In  review  just  a  few  out  of  many  unpleasant  inci- 
dents that  happen  along  about  the  16th  century,  how  dark  and  gloomy 
must  have  been  over  the  people  of  this  country,  even  one  hundred 
years  ago  today  this  country  was  owned  by  the  Seneca  Nation  of 
Indians,  and  it  was  in  a  wild  state,  unimproved,  uncultivated  and 
unsettled  excepting  small  spots  here  and  there,  villages  by  Natives. 
By  signing  the  Big  Tree  Treaty  by  Indians  made  this  country  a  great 
change ;  today  we  see  most  magnificent  farms  all  over  this  country, 
and  the  civilization  prevails  among  the  people  where  one  hundred 
years  ago  everything  was  wild.  Today  the  Seneca  Indians  are  enjoy- 
ing the  fruits  of  civilization  as  well  as  the  white  people,  especially 
when  they  are  participating  in  this  great  Centennial  Celebration. 

I  will  now  conclude  my  short  speech  by  extending  my  sincere 
thanks  to  the  managers  of  the  Livingston  County  Historical  Society 
for  the  honor  extended  to  me  in  making  this  address. 


RESPONSE  BY 
A.  SIM  LOGAN 

The  Former  Owners  of  Our  Beautiful  Valley,  the  Senecas  ;  Their  Brave 
Warriors  and  Gifted  Orators. 

/Y\  R.  TOASTMASTER  and  Gentlemen  :  As  a  representative  of 
I  I  the  Seneca  Nation  of  the  Iroquois  Indians,  I  come  before 
f  1  you  °n  this  occasion  as  a  representative  of  the  people  who 

p  ^    once  held  sway  over  this  entire  continent,  and  as  I  have 

consented  to  make  a  short  speech  on  this  joyous  occasion,  I  do  so  with 
a  proper  sense  of  the  obligation  I  am  under  to  my  own  race.  We  have 
laid  aside  all  those  feelings  of  animosity  which  actuated  our  forefath- 
ers when  they  saw  that  the  vast  country  over  which  they  roamed 
must  give  way  to  the  civilization  of  the  white  man,  and  we  have 
learned  that  it  is  better  for  us  to  settle  down  and  cultivate  well  a  small 
piece  of  ground  rather  than  to  roam  over  all  creation,  and  we  have 
learned  also  that  our  children  must  take  their  places  in  the  grand  pro- 
cession of  progress,  and,  in  order  to  do  this,  we  must  have  elementary 
and  high  schools  where  our  young  men  and  women  may  be  equipped 
for  a  successful  career.  It  is  well  known  to  those  who  have  studied 
my  people  that  when  we  get  the  better  of  your  civilization,  we  thrive 
under  it,  and  our  children  take  equal  rank  with  yours  in  the  acquisi- 
tion of  knowledge.  It  has  been  said,  Mr.  Toastmaster,  that  the  only 
good  Indian  is  a  dead  one.  Give  us  your  schools  and  your  Christianity, 
and  a  fair  chance  in  life,  and  do  not  treat  us  as  dogs,  and  we  will 
show  by  our  love  for  our  white  brothers,  and  by  our  improvement  that 
there  are  good  Indians  who  are  not  dead. 

The  Indians  are  not  decreasing  in  this  country ;  they  are  increas- 
ing, and  so  Mr.  Toastmaster,  you  are  likely  to  have  the  Indian  prob- 
lem on  your  hands  for  some  time  to  come,  and  the  only  proper  settle- 
ment of  the  Indian  problem  is  to  educate  and  Christianize  my  people. 
And  it  is  a  great  deal  cheaper  to  do  this  than  to  exterminate  us. 
President  Grant  stated  that  it  has  cost  this  government  two  millions 
of  dollars  to  kill  an  Indian,  but  it  costs  only  about  $200  on  the  average 
to  educate  and  Christianize  an  Indian,  and  an  educated  Indian  is  more 
glory  to  your  race  and  to  your  civilization  than  a  murdered  one. 

Your  Centennial  celebration  is  a  great  event,  and  I  am  here  today, 
not  to  glory  over  the  departure  of  my  people  from  this  region,  but  to 
assure  you  that,  though  we  have  parted  with  our  fertile  lands,  and 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  62 

gone  from  your  immediate  midst,  with  a  good  heart  we  rejoice  in  the 
improvement  which  God  has  spead  over  this  land,  and  we  unite  with 
you  on  this  great  occasion  out  of  respect  for  our  white  brother  and  his 
government  and  for  our  great  white  father  at  Washington  who  recog- 
nizes the  Indians  as  wards  of  his  government,  to  look  with  a  father's 
interest  after  the  welfare  of  us,  who,  like  you,  are  the  children  of  the 
Great  Spirit. 

Although,  Mr.  Toastmaster,  my  people  are  increasing  in  the  Uni- 
ted States,  our  ancient  customs  are  gradually  fading  away,  and  we 
shall,  under  the  influence  of  the  progress  of  the  age,  in  taking  our 
places  in  the  procession  with  you,  lay  aside  the  customs  of  our  fath- 
ers, but  we  hope  to  prove  ourselves  worthy  of  the  advantages  which 
our  white  brothers  have  brought  us,  and  act  well  the  part  which  the 
Great  Spirit  created  us  to  perform. 


T.    F.  JAMFKSOX 
President  Seneca  Nation  of  Indians 


EVENING  MEETING 


ADDRESS  BY 

HON,  WALLACE  BRUCE 

A  Great  Century. 

f^f\  R-  CHAIRMAN,  members  of  the  Livingston  County  Historical 
ill  Society,  Mr.  Governeur  Morris,  representatives  of  the  Seneca 
*  *  Tribe,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen :  I  regard  it  a  great  privilege  to 
take  part  in  this  interesting  Centennial  ceremony.  It  has  been  my 
fortune  to  participate  in  four  centennials  : — The  centennial  of  a  bat- 
tle, the  centennial  of  peace,  the  centennial  of  a  poet's  birthday,  and 
now  the  centennial  of  a  great  treaty ;  the  first  commemorating 
Stark's  victory  at  Bennington,  the  second  the  disbanding  of  the  Amer- 
ican army  under  Washington,  at  Newburg,  the  third  among  the  Berk- 
shires  in  memory  of  William  Cullen  Bryant,  and  the  fourth  here  amid 
your  beautiful  hills  and  valleys,  on  the  fifteenth  day  of  September, 
1897.  (Applause.) 

When  I  received  your  invitation  to  deliver  an  address  on  the  occa- 
sion, it  occurred  to  me  that  I  would  take  as  my  subject  "From  Tree  to 
Temple."  I  wanted  to  come  and  talk  to  you,  rather  than  to  deliver  an 
extended  or  over-carefully  prepared  oration,  for  I  knew  that  the  histor- 
ical part  of  the  exercises  would  be  well  done  in  the  afternoon — a  paper 
which  I  may  say  in  passing,  adds  great  wealth  not  only  to  this  society 
but  also  to  this  entire  community.  It  occurred  to  me  that  the  "Tree" 
had  gone  and  that  the  "Temple"  had  come.  I  thought  of  the  spot 
which  had  been  pointed  out  to  me  on  a  previous  visit  by  a  friend  now 
presiding  over  these  exercises,  where  once  stood  the  historic  log  house 
and  the  old  "Wadsworth  Homestead,"  of  the  changes  which  had  trans- 
pired since  the  transfer  of  the  Indian  title  ;  the  contrast  of  the  life  and 
surroundings  of  1797  with  1897,  and  came  to  the  conclusion  that  I 
would  limit  my  talk  to  the  very  brief  subject  of  "A  Great  Century." 
(Laughter.) 

I  am  proud,  Mr.  Chairman,  to  stand  here  in  the  presence  of  des- 
cendants of  men,  whose  lines  coming  together  after  one  hundred  years, 
surround  a  great  island  of  history.  It  is  not  often  that  divergent  civ- 
ilizations, or  that  civilivation  and  barbarism  which  have  struggled 
adversely,  meet  at  last,  forming  thereby  a  peaceful  delta  of  prosperity. 
I  am  glad  to  be  here  with  the  grandson  of  Robert  Morris,  the  great 
Banker  of  the  American  Colonies,  the  financial  refuge  of  Freedom  in 
the  hour  of  adversity,  and  one  of  the  committee  with  Washington 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  66 

for  designing  yonder  flag.  (Applause.)  It  is  something  also  to 
remember  and  to  tell  our  children  that  we  met  here  a  relative,  the 
grandson  of  Logan,  the  Indian  orator  whose  speeches  we  used  to  study 
in  onr  school  books,  and  were  he,  who  sat  today  at  yonr  board  and 
thrilled  his  auditors,  stirred  by  the  same  motive  as  his  illustrious 
ancestor,  the  pride  of  boundless  and  ancestral  freedom,  there  would  be 
no  lack  of  transmitted  ability.  If  there  is  a  student  of  elocution  here, 
if  would  be  well  for  him  to  engrave  upon  his  memory  the  superb 
gesture  and  utterance  of  this  his  namesake. 

It  is  indeed  a  great  century.    None  of  us  can  fully  comprehend  it. 
Most  of  us  have  lived  in  less  than  a  third  of  it ;  only  a  few   during 
half  of  it ;  a  still  smaller  few  who  have  reached  three  score  or  four 
score  years.    What  was  it  then?  What  is  it  now?    These  meadow 
lands  a  primitive  forest.    The  emporium  of  our   state  and  country 
enrolled  scarcely  80,000  people.    Its  chief  street  reached  only  from 
the  Battery  to  where  the  City  Hall  now  stands,  Maiden  Lane,  Fulton 
street  and  Park  Place  were  pleasant  strolling  places  along  the  edge 
of  an  almost  unbroken  wilderness.    Brooklyn,  across  the  way,  was  a 
town   of   barely  two  thousand  inhabitants.    A   clergyman   recently 
told  me  that  his  grandfather  in  1807  sold  his  farm,  the  entire  acreage 
now  known  as  Brooklyn  Heights,  for  three  thousand  dollars.    It  is 
quite   possible,    representatives   of   the    Seneca   Tribe,    that   Robert 
Morris  paid  too  much  instead  of  too  little  for  the  property.     (Laugh- 
ter.)   When  we   stop  to  think  that  New  York  Island  was   bought 
for  twenty-four  dollars  we  come  to  the  conclusion  that  real  estate 
some  years  ago  was  not  held  at  the  figures  of  today.    When,  more- 
over, we  recall  the  fact  that  be  bought  from  Napoleon  two-thirds 
of  our  present  territory  for  a  few  million  dollars,  we  conclude  that  the 
price  of  property  has  not  materially  depreciated  in  value ;  so  we  need 
not  come  here  in  the  spirit  of  criticism  or  of  apology,  but  rather  as 
the  advocate  of  the  great  patriot  of  the  Revolution,  who  in  the  consum- 
mation of  this  purchase,  was  an  instrument  in  the  hands  of  God  to  help 
forward  the  civilization  of  his  country.    There  is  moreover  a  great 
truth  to  be  derived  from  this  Centennial  gathering  summed  up  in  one 
comprehensive  sentence  :  that  civilization  holds  a  mortgage  on  barba- 
rism ;  that  education  holds  a  mortgage  on  ignorance  which  time  at 
last  forecloses.    Lord  Bacon's  great  aphorism  "Knowledge  is  Power," 
s  written  and  re- written  on  every  page  of  the  world's  history. 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  67 

In  the  brief  review  of  the  period  here  contemplated,  the  contrasts 
of  material  progress  present  a  strange  blending  of  the  humorous  and 
the  marvelous.  One  hundred  years  ago  it  often  took  seven  or  eight 
days  for  a  sloop  to  go  from  New  York  to  Albany.  Washington  Irving 
refers  to  a  "nine  days'  voyage"  up  the  river.  One  of  our  swift  steamers 
today  gives  us  a  sort  of  a  passing  glimpse.  I  was  recently  in  the  Cats- 
kills  when  a  search-light  from  a  steamer  ten  miles  away  was  thrown 
on  the  cliffs,  and  I  got  up  and  read  by  it  at  intervals  for  half  an  hour, 
Gibbon's  "History  of  Rome."  (Laughter.)  The  time  was  when  it 
took  a  stage  coach  three  days  to  go  from  New  York  to  Boston,  and 
two  coaches  carried  all  the  passengers.  In  those  days  our  grandfath- 
ers mowed  these  meadow  lands  with  old-fashioned  scythes,  and  gar- 
nered their  wheat  with  quaint-fingered  cradles.  Today  we  start  a 
great  reaper  on  one  side  of  a  five-thousand  acre  lot  out  west,  and  the 
wheat  is  cut,  threshed,  winnowed  and  tied  up  in  bags  while  the 
machine  is  in  motion.  It  took  the  first  steamship,  the  "Savannah." 
nineteen  days  to  cross  the  Atlantic,  and  it  was  such  a  curiosity  that  it 
went  visiting  around  at  the  various  ports.  Today  we  take  one  of  the 
modern  grayhounds  of  the  deep,  visit  London,  Paris,  Berlin  and  Rome 
and  are  home  again,  at  our  desks  in  New  York,  within  the  time  of  the 
first  outward  voyage  of  that  first  steamer.  Twenty-five  "years  ago  a 
writer  in  Harper's  Monthly  boasted  that  we  could  go  from  New  York 
to  San  Francisco  in  twelve  days.  In  a  few  years  there  will  be  a  sum- 
mer excursion  with  a  shorter  schedule  from  New  York  to  St.  Peters- 
burg, and  I  expect  some  day  to  sit  in  a  coach  marked  Behring 
Straits  and  hear  the  brakeman  call  out  "Klondyke."  (Applause.) 

The  other  day  I  talked  with  Ann  Arbor.  She  was  eight  hundred 
miles  away  (laughter)  but  we  arranged  a  lecture  appointment  in 
three  minutes  by  the  watch.  The  telephone  today  accomplishes  what 
the  old  century  never  dreamed  of,  and  in  addition  to  the  telephone 
and  the  telegraph  we  now  have  captured  the  "X  Ray,"  one  of  the 
main  advantages  of  which  is,  if  we  happen  to  ask  a  friend  for  the  loan 
of  ten  dollars,  and  he  says  he  is  sorry  he  hasn't  it,  all  we  have  to  do  is 
to  turn  on  the  "ray"  and  he  has  to  immediately  transmit  the  X. 
(Laughter.)  This  is  the  first  age  that  has  been  able  to  see  through 
everybody.  One  of  these  days  we  will  just  sit  in  our  rooms,  push  a 
button  to  bring  an  electric  carriage,  and  finally  we  will  all  do  our  farm- 
ing, while  swinging  in  a  hammock  under  an  awning,  by  simply  turn- 
ing a  few  motor  switches.  (Applause.) 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  68 

What  evolutions  in  labor  and  locomotion  from  the  splint-broom 
and  the  sickle  to  the  carpet-sweeper  and  the  lawn-mower,   from  the 
sleepy  coach  and  clicking  reel  to  the  trolly-car  and  the  bicycle.    Even 
the  very  word  "Century"  today  no  longer  suggests  to  many  people  a 
period  of  glorious  achievement  but  a  cycling  journey  from  New  York 
to  Philadelphia.     I  wrote  a  poem  when  a  boy  on  the  Moon  trying  to 
catch  her  husband,  the  Sun,  but  now  she  has  only  to  get  a  "Lunar"  to 
be  equal  to  the  course.     (Laughter.)     Our  patient  grandmothers  knew 
nothing  of  sewing  machines,  and  never  dreamed  of  an  apple  parer  ;  nor 
•would  the  latter  invention  have  been  more  popular  then  than  now, 
although  I  have  known  of  the  work  being  so  pressing  in  my  own 
native  town  that  it  kept  many  a  young  couple  busy  often  until  eleven 
or  twelve  o'clock  in  the  evening  in  order  to  keep  the  family  going  in 
apples.     (Laughter.)     I  remember  an  aunt  who  used  to  whirl  the 
spinning-wheel  in  the  homestead  garret,  and  I  recall  today,  no  sweeter 
music,  but  now  the  old  wheel  is  a   silent   heir-loom.    Some  great 
machine  in  Massachusetts  or  Rhode  Island   with  pale-faced  persons 
beside.it  transacts  all  the  work.    A  bale  of  cotton  is  untied  at  one  end 
of  a  steaming  factory,  and  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away  it  comes 
out  in  cylinders  of  printed  cloth.     I  visited  last  week  a  mill  where  a 
tree  was  ground  into  pulp  and  presented  the  next  day  in  the  shape  of 
an  illustrated  newspaper,  with  news  whispered  in  the  meantime  from, 
the  furthermost  islands  of  the  sea.    Wonderful,  indeed,  has  been  the 
work  of  the  hundred  years  that  we  are  contemplating  here  in  retro- 
spect this  Centennial  day  in  this  beautiful  village  of  Geneseo  !     (Ap- 
plause.) 

In  tracing  the  growth  of  material  progress,  we  moreover  note  the 
development  of  a  new  type  of  character,  for  the  productions  of  this 
country  are  not  alone  in  the  line  of  mechanism.  It  is  a  marvel  that 
we  can  convert  steam  and  electricity  into  servants  of  commerce.  It  is 
wonderful  that  a  whisper  along  a  trembling  wire  seems  to  know  no 
limit,  and  that  through  storm  and  sunshine  we  are  enabled  to  talk  face 
to  face  with  friends  a  thousand  miles  distant,  that  we  can  chronicle  a 
laugh  and  almost  transmit  a  smile,  but  the  greatest  marvel  of  the 
century  is  not  the  telephone,  the  telegraph,  or  the  swift  flying  steamer 
nay  nor  the  rearing  of  the  greatest  temple  in  the  world,  the  Constitu- 
tion of  the  United  States ;  not  the  melting  back  of  a  great  Citizen 
Army  into  the  field,  the  office,  and  the  workshop  from  which  it  came 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  69 

to  guard  the  threshold  of  a  nobler  humanity,  but  the  crowning  devel- 
opment and  marvel  of  these  hundred  years  is  the  American  Man. 
(Applause.)  lithe  statement  needs  any  amendment,  the  American 
Woman  (laughter)  or  as  Robert  Burns  has  wittily  put  it  in  abiding 
truth  : 

"The  prentice-hand  was  tried  on  man 

And  then  were  made  the  lassies."    (Applause.) 

In  this  new  type  of  character  the  crowning  quality  seems  a  natural 
readiness  to  meet  emergencies  and  overcome  them.  When  the  young 
American  officer  went  to  Alexandria  to  bring  to  New  York  the  obelisk 
presented  to  this  country  by  the  Khedive  of  Egypt  and  the  people  of 
Alexandria  gathered  about  it  in  angry  protest,  the  young  American 
simply  wrapped  the  stars  and  stripes  about  it  and  told  his  men  to 
proceed.  (Applause.)  It  is  recorded  in  the  history  of  the  Hudson 
that  General  Putnam,  at  Peekskill,  sent  a  despatch  to  Washington  : 
"Nathan  Palmer  was  taken  as  a  spy,  tried  as  a  spy,  and  will  be  hanged 
as  a  spy.  P.  S.— He  is  hanged."  That  brief  postscript  suggests  the 
germ  of  American  straightforwardness  without  time  for  particulars  or 
details.  A  gentleman  from  Boston  dropped  in  recently  on  the  pioneer 
life  of  an  old  college  classmate,  whom  he  had  not  seen  for  years,  and 
was  astonished  to  hear  him  tell  of  a  great  "petrified"  forest  only  a  few 
miles  distant ;  everything  that  approached  it,  he  said,  became  petri- 
fied. A  buffalo  ran  into  it  one  day  and  there  it  stood  on  its  fore-feet 
petrified — with  heels  in  the  air — suddenly  arrested  in  his  flight.  A 
piece  of  dirt,  he  said,  was  thrown  up  in  its  flight  and  there  it  remains, 
in  the  air  petrified.  That  can't  be,  said  the  Bostonian,  think  of  gravity ! 
Gravity?  Why  that  was  petrified  too.  (Laughter.)  No  one  but  an 
American,  with  undaunted  readiness,  would  have  ever  dreamed  of  a 
reply,  which,  in  extravagant  humor,  set  at  naught  even  the  primal 
laws  of  the  universe.  (Applause.) 

Nor  can  we  forget,  as  a  people,  in  this  hour  of  remembrance,  the 
great  Providences  which  have  attended  and  shielded  us,  throughout 
the  century  just  completed.  The  old  motto  of  Connecticut,  "He  who 
transported  us  will  sustain  us,"  is  as  true  today  as  when  it  was  first 
written.  It  was  providential  in  the  beginning  of  our  history  that 
there  was  room  enough  here  for  the  development  of  individual  liberty, 
wherein  the  feudalism  of  man  to  man,  of  serf  to  superior,  and  of 
knight  to  lord,  might  pass  into  the  grander  and  higher  feudalism  of 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  70 

institutions.  The  French  and  Indian  wars  were  also  providential,  in 
that  they  taught  the  early  colonists  self-reliance.  The  Braddock  cam- 
paign was  a  training-school  of  liberty  ;  the  Blue  Ridge  a  fortress  and 
a  refuge  of  fredom.  Indeed,  every  battle  of  the  Revolution  records  a 
series  of  Providences.  A  friend  recently  told  me  that  his  great  aunt, 
who  was  a  Tory,  and  lived  on  Long  Island,  had  the  fact  brought  to  her 
that  Washington  was  drawing  off  his  forces  under  the  cover  of  night. 
She  sent  a  trusty  servant  to  advise  General  Howe,  but  her  messenger 
unwittingly  found  his  way  into  the  Hessian  instead  of  the  English  camp, 
where  even  the  officers  were  unable  to  understand  the  communication, 
so  they  locked  the  colored  man  up  for  the  night  and  the  next  morning 
Washington  and  his  army  were  on  the  Heights  of  Manhattan.  If  that 
servant  had  reached  the  British  General,  Washington  would  have 
been  captured.  Nor  did  these  Providences  close  with  the  Revolution. 
They  have  abided  all  through  our  history.  Napoleon  was  in  need  of 
money  to  prosecute  his  ambition,  and  while  Britain  was  fitting  out  her 
ships  to  take  possession  of  New  Orleans,  and  thereby  plant  her  flag  on 
the  Mississippi  and  all  its  tributaries,  even  to  the  gateway  of  Chautau- 
qua  lake,  Napoleon  sold  to  us  through  our  envoy,  Thomas  Jefferson, 
who  was  then  in  Paris,  fully  two-thirds  of  our  present  territory  for  a 
few  millions  of  dollars.  It  was  intended  from  the  beginning  that  this 
country  should  be  one  and  indivisible  from  gulf  to  lake,  from  sea  to 
sea.  (Applause.)  This  ceding  of  French  territory  brought  to  us 
naturally  in  a  few  years  California  and  Florida,  and  then  just  to 
straighten  out  our  national  boundary  we  "redeemed"  a  portion  of  Mex- 
ico so  that  we  wouldn't  walk  off.  (Laughter.) 

The  Civil  War  came,  and  early  in  its  history  the  Battle  of  Bull 
Run.  G-eneral  Slocum  said  a  few  years  ago,  in  Brooklyn,  that  he 
regarded  this  defeat  at  first  as  a  serious  calamity,  but  came  at  last  to 
see  that  it  was  a  great  Providence.  If  we  had  been  victorious  in  the 
beginning,  he  said,  the  purposes  of  the  war  would  not  have  been 
accomplished — a  freedom  for  all  beneath  the  flag.  (Applause.)  The 
battle  of  Gettysburg  came.  At  the  close  of  the  first  day's  fight  General 
Meade  and  his  staff  sat  through  a  good  part  of  the  night  in  a  little  house 
on  the  hillside  and  discussed  the  question  whether  they  should  go  or 
stay.  They  stayed — and  all  perhaps  because  a  little  boy  had  led  the 
line  as  it  fell  back  to  Cemetery  Ridge,  which  became  a  bulwark  of 
freedom.  It  is  said  that  a  boy  by  mistake  misdirected  Grouchy  or  the 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  71 

decisive  battle  of  Waterloo  might  have  been  a  blow  to  Saxon  suprem- 
acy in  Europe  and  throughout  the  world.  Every  struggle  of  the 
centuries  for  human  rights  has  been  climactory.  Marathon  and 
Waterloo  anticipate  Yorktown  and  Appomatox,  and  this  flag  which 
we  love  to  call  Old  G-lory,  has  threads  in  it  that  reach  back  to  Mt. 
Aararat.  It  was  only  quarter  finished  when  Washington  and  Morris 
went  to  the  old  Scotch  woman  of  Philadelphia  to  make  a  circle  of 
thirteen  stars.  (Applause.) 

The  Providences  of  God  have  been  great,  not  only  in  giving  us 
Washington  in  the  past,  but  also  in  these  later  days,  the  flower  of 
American  manhood,  Abraham  Lincoln.  (Applause.)  It  sometimes 
seems  that  no  one  else  could  have  guided  the  Ship  so  safely,  a  man 
who  knew  how  to  say  and  do  the  right  thing  at  the  right  time.  '  'You 
can  fool  some  of  the  people  all  of  the  time,  and  all  of  the  people  some 
of  the  time,  but  you  can't  fool  all  of  the  people  all  of  the  time."  He 
said  "It  isn't  safe  to  swap  horses  while  crossing  the  stream,"  a  sentence 
more  effective  in  his  re-election  than  a  thousand  campaign  speeches. 
He  wrote  to  one  of  his  Generals  that  if  he  wasn't  using  the  army  he 
would  like  to  borrow  it.  When  Richmond  was  captured  a  great 
crowd  early  in  the  morning  surged  into  the  White  House  grounds  and 
called  for  Lincoln.  The  window  opened  and  the  old  Irish  butler  said, 
"Whist,  boys,  the  old  man  will  be  down  directly."  The  chief  ruler  of 
no  other  land  in  the  world  could  have  received  such  an  introduction 
without  loss  of  dignity,  but  no  other  sentence  so  clearly  reveals  the 
close  relation  between  the  people  and  their  executive.  Lincoln  appear- 
ed and  said  "In  this  hour  of  our  triumph  let  us  remember  that  they 
are  our  brothers."  How  the  man  seems  sent  straight  from  the  skies  to 
speak  words  of  love  and  honesty.  (Applause.) 

But  in  spite  of  all  our  Providences  there  have  always  been  men 
who  said  "you  can't  do  it."  They  proclaimed  it  way  back  there  to 
Job.  You  remember  the  three  who  came  to  see  him,  Bildad,  Eliphaz 
and  Zophar,  but  Job  answered  "No  doubt  ye  are  the  people  and  wisdom 
shall  die  with  you."  Centuries  go  by  and  people  said  to  Columbus 
"You  can't  do  it.  There  is  no  land  out  there  anyway,"  but  Columbus 
said  "sail  on,  sail  on,"  until  a  new  continent  lifted  itself  from  the  sea. 
They  came  to  John  Hancock  and  said  "there  is  no  use  of  writing  your 
name  so  big  for  it  can't  be  done,"  and  he  replied  "I  propose  to  write  it 
so  that  his  Majesty  can  read  it  without  his  spectacles."  Time  went  on 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  72 

until  they  came  to  Webster  and  said  "It  is  no  use,  you  can't  answer  the 
argument  of  Hayne."  "I  don't  propose  to  answer  it,  but  to  crush  him," 
replied  the  great  statesman,  as  he  welded  another  rivet  in  the  history 
of  Constitutional  liberty.  Then  they  found  a  man  down  at  Shiloh, 
General  Grant,  whose  very  initials  were  somehow  suggestive  of  the 
permanency  of  the  United  States,  and  they  said,  "Don't  cross  that 
stream  for  if  you  are  defeated  you  will  not  have  boats  enough  to  bring 
you  back,"  but  the  great  soldier  on  his  way  to  Vicksburg  said  "If  we 
are  defeated  there  will  be  boats  enough  to  bring  back  what  are  left." 
(Applause.)  There  is  only  one  thing  which  it  seems  this  country  can't 
do,  and  that  is  to  complete  the  Capitol  at  Albany.  (Laughter.)  I  am 
not  sure  however,  but  that  they  propose  to  take  your  Centennial  for 
the  crowning  column  this  winter. 

So  much  for  these  Providences  and  great  marvels.  Time  does  not 
permit  us  to  continue  or  to  elaborate  them,  and  the  hour  does  not 
allow  us  to  call  the  long  roll  of  heroes  who  went  down  to  the  front 
in  the  protection  of  country  and  birthright,  for  what  would  be  the 
possessions  recalled  by  this  day's  observance  had  it  not  been  for  their 
noble  deeds  ? 

Who  can  paint  that  panorama,  clear  and  perfect  in  detail  ? 
Who  can  trace  the  telling  bullets  in  that  storm  of  leaden  hail  ? 
Who  can  twine  a  fitting  garland  for  each  dear  heroic  name, 
Or  untwist  the  strands  of  glory  in  the  cable  of  our  fame  ? 
This  sufficeth  and  abideth — every  thread  is  firm  and  true  ; 
Homespun  texture,  double  woven,  colors  fast — red.  white  and  blue  ; 
Knotted  well  at  Appomattox,  tied  to  keep  the  threads  in  place, 
Never  more  to  be  unraveled  in  the  nation's  onward  race. 

But  above  all  achievements,  inventions  and  triumphs,  one  proph- 
ecy from  out  the  ages  still  shines  undimmed.  "His  name  shall  be 
called  wonderful !"  Our  little  dreams  are  fulfilled  and  the  wonder 
ceases.  When  the  great  bridge  between  New  York  and  Brooklyn  was 
being  built,  day  by  day  we  looked  up  through  the  cables  of  woven 
steel,  and  wondered  whether  ever,  from  pier  to  pier,  across  that  wide 
space,  a  highway  could  be  constructed  It  was  accomplished  and  the 
wonder  ceased.  We  take  a  microscope  and  multiply  the  spaces  beneath 
the  glass  a  hundred-fold  and  wonder  at  the  anatomy  of  life  and  the 
beauty  of  God's  creation,  but  the  wonder  ceases  with  our  attainment. 
We  point  a  telescope  into  the  sky  and  foretell  the  location  of  a  new 
star  by  mathematics.  The  star  appears  and  the  marvel  ceases.  But 
after  all  material  triumphs  fade  away  and  vanish,  after  all  our  greatest 
inventions  have  been  lost  in  a  series,  of  higher  accomplishments,  this 
sentence  shall  abide  in  sublime  futurity:  "His  name  shall  be  called 
wonderful !"  (Long  continued  applause. ) 


APPENDIX 


ADDRESS  BY 

MR.  W,  H.  SAMSON 

Before  the  Livingston  County  Historical  Society  in  1894. 

r\  FTER  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war  and  the  successful  estab- 
1^  lishment  of  the  independence  of  the  colonies,  there  was  a  serious 
I  dispute  between  New  York  and  Massachusetts  regarding  the 
lands  in  what  is  now  Western  New  York.  Massachusetts 
claimed  the  title  by  virtue  of  a  grant  from  King  James  I  to  the  Ply- 
mouth company,  made  November  3,  1620,  and  New  York  claimed  it  by 
virtue  of  the  grant  of  Charles  II  to  the  Duke  of  York,  dated  March  12, 
1664,  and  the  voluntary  submission  of  the  Iroquois  to  the  crown  in 
1684. 

Happily  this  dispute  was  amicably  adjusted.  By  a  compact  dated 
December  16,  1786,  signed  by  commissioners  representing  the  two 
states,  New  York  secured  the  sovereignty  and  jurisdiction  and  Massa- 
chusetts the  right  to  buy  from  the  native  Indians. 

There  were  no  reasons  why  Massachusetts  should  delay  the  sale  of 
its  rights,  and  on  April  1,  1788,  the  legislature  of  that  state  agreed  to 
convey  to  Nathaniel  Gorhain  and  Oliver  Phelps,  who  were  acting  for 
themselves  and  others,  all  its  right  and  title  for  300,000  pounds  in  the 
consolidated  securities  of  the  commonwealth,  or  about  one  million  dol- 
lars, provided  that  these  speculators  would  extinguish  the  Indian  title. 

On  the  8th  of  July.  1788,  a  treaty  was  concluded  at  Buffalo  Creek. 
It  was  attended  by  leading  sachems,  warriors  and  chiefs  of  the  Five 
Nations.  At  this  treaty  the  Indians  sold  to  Phelps  and  Gorham  for 
£2,100  and  an  annuity  of  $500,  all  their  land  east  of  the  Genesee  and  a 
small  portion  west  of  it.  The  whole  tract  being  described  as  follows: 

"Beginning  in  the  north  boundary  line  of  the  state  of  Pennsylvania 
in  the  parallel  of  forty-two  degrees  north  latitude,  at  a  point  distant 
eighty-two  miles  west  from  the  northeast  corner  of  Pennsylvania,  on 
the  Delaware  river,  as  the  said  boundary  line  hath  been  run  and 
marked  by  the  commissioners  appointed  by  the  states  of  New  York  and 
Pennsylvania  respectively;  and  from  said  point  or  place  of  Ijeginning, 
running  west  upon  said  line  to  a  meridian  which  will  pass  through  that 
corner  or  point  of  land  made  by  the  influence  of  the  Shanahasgwaikon 
creek,  so-called,  with  the  waters  of  the  Genesee  river;  thence  running 
north  along  the  said  meridian  to  the  corner  or  point  last  mentioned; 
thence  northwardly  along  the  waters  of  the  said  Genesee  river  to  a 
point  two  miles  north  of  Shanawageras  village,  so-called:  thence 
running  in  a  direction  due  west  twelve  miles;  thence  running  a  direc- 
tion northwardly,  so  as  to  be  twelve  miles  distant  from  the  most  west- 
ward bends  of  said  Genesee  river  to  the  shore  of  the  Ontario  lake; 
thence  eastwardly  along  the  shores  of  said  lake  to  a  meridian  which  will 
pass  through  the  first  point  or  place  of  beginning  above  mentioned; 
thence  south  along  said  meridian  to  the  first  point  or  place  of  beginning 
aforesaid;  together  with  all  and  singular  the  woods,  houses,  streams, 
rivers,  ponds,  lakes,  upon,  within,  and  in  any  wise  appertaining  to  said 
territory." 

This  tract  embraced  a  little  over  two  and  a  half  million  acres, 
measuring  about  eighty-five  miles  on  the  east  line  and  nearly  forty-five 
miles  on  the  south  line.  Within  its  bounds  are  the  counties  of  Ontario, 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  76 

Steuben  and  Yates,  and  portions  of  the  counties  of  Monroe,  Livingston, 
Wayne,  Allegany  and  Schuyler.  On  November  21,  1788,  the  legislature 
of  Massachusetts  passed  an  act  conveying  this  land  to  Phelps  and 
Gorham. 

The  advance  in  the  value  of  the  consolidated  securities  of  Massa- 
chusetts, due  to  the  assumption  by  the  general  government  of  the  debts 
of  the  several  states,  brought  ruin  to  Phelps  and  Gorham.  They 
reserved  to  themselves  two  townships,  but  sold  the  remainder  of  the 
land  to  Robert  Morris,  who  in  turn  disposed  of  it  to  Sir  William 
Pultney  and  his  associates  in  England. 

Not  only  were  Phelps  and  Gorham  compelled  to  part  with  the  lands 
purchased  from  the  Indians,  but  they  were  obliged  to  surrender  to 
Massachusetts  the  pre-emptive  right  to  the  lands  west  of  the  Genesee 
river,  embracing  about  3,750,000  acres,  to  which  they  had  been  unable 
to  extinguish  the  Indian  title. 

Robert  Morris  who  had  made  a  profit  of  something  like  $160,000  on 
his  sale  to  the  Englishmen,  was  ready  to  embark  in  further  specula- 
tions, and  on  May  11,  1791,  purchased  from  Massachusetts  the  pre-emp- 
tive right  to  the  lands  west  of  the  Genesee.  He  paid  100,000  pounds, 
equal  to  $333,338.33  in  Massachusetts  currency.  In  1792  and  1793  he 
sold  this  land,  except  the  eastern  portion,  since  known  as  the  Morris 
reserve,  to  certain  capitalists  in  Holland,  and  it  now  became  his  duty 
to  extinguish  the  Indian  title.  Until  this  should  be  done  the  Holland- 
ers reserved  37,500  pounds  of  the  purchase  price. 

Soon  after  making  the  purchase  from  Massachusetts,  Mr.  Morris 
resolved  to  settle  his  son  Thomas  in  the  Genesee  country  "as  an  evi- 
dence of  his  faith  in  its  value  and  prospects,"  Thomas  Morris  was  20 
years  of  age.  He  had  been  educated  at  Geneva  and  Leipsic  and  was 
then  reading  law.  In  obedience  to  the  wishes  of  his  father,  he  left 
Philadelphia  in  the  early  summer  of  1791  and  coming  by  way  of  Wilkes- 
barre  and  what  was  called  "Sullivan's  path,"  reached  Newtown  where 
he  attended  Pickering's  council  and  received  from  the  Indians  the  name 
of  O-te-ti-ana,  which  Red  Jacket  had  borne  in  his  younger  days. 
Proceeding  on  his  journey,  Mr.  Morris  visited  Niagara  Falls.  On  his 
return,  he  passed  through  Canandaigua.  The  aspect  of  the  little 
frontier  village  pleased  him,  and  he  resolved  to  make  the  place  his 
home.  Arranging  his  affairs  in  the  east,  he  left  New  York  in  March, 
1792,  and  went  to  Canandaigua.  In  1793  he  built  a  framed  house,  filled  in 
with  brick — one  of  the  two  framed  houses  in  the  state  west  of  Whites- 
boro.  Mr.  Morris  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  in  1794  attended  the 
first  court  held  at  Canandaigua.  He  devoted  much  of  his  time  to  the 
care  of  his  father's  property  and  the  settlement  and  development  of 
Western  New  York,  and  was  honored  and  esteemed  by  the  pioneers. 
In  1794,  1795  and  1796  he  was  a  member  of  assembly  from  Ontario 
county.  For  five  years  beginning  with  1796  he  was  a  senator  of  the 
state  of  New  York,  and  from  December,  1801,  till  March  1803,  he  was 
a  member  of  congress — the  first  representative  in  congress  from  that 
portion  of  the  state  of  New  York  lying  west  of  Seneca  lake.  He 
shared  in  the  financial  reverses  of  his  father  and  in  1804  appointed  John 
Greig  his  attorney  and  removed  to  New  York  city,  where  he  practiced 
law  until  his  death  in  1848. 

Though  Robert  Morris  desired  a  speedy  settlement  of  his  specula- 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  77 

tions  with  the  Hollanders,  it  was  not  until  1796  that  he  asked  President 
Washington  to  order  a  treaty  and  appoint  a  commissioner  to  represent 
the  United  States.  The  delay  in  the  application  was  very  creditable, 
for  it  was  due  entirely  to  motives  of  public  consideration.  Morris's 
letter  was  as  follows: 

Philadelphia,  August  25, 1796. 

Sir — In  the  year  1791  I  purchased  from  the  state  of  Massachusetts 
a  tract  of  country  lying  within  the  boundaries  of  the  state  of  New  York, 
which  had  been  ceded  by  the  latter  to  the  former  state  under  the 
sanction  and  with  the  concurrence  of  the  congress  of  the  United  States. 
This  tract  of  land  is  bounded  to  the  east  by  the  Grenesee  river,  to  the 
north  by  Lake  Ontario,  to  the  west  partly  by  Lake  Erie  and  partly  by 
the  boundary  line  of  the  Pennsylvania  triangle,  and  to  the  south  by  the 
north  boundary  line  of  the  state  of  Pennsylvania.  A  printed  brief  of 
title  I  take  the  liberty  to  transmit  herewith.  To  perfect  this  title  it  is 
necessary  to  purchase  of  the  Seneca  nation  of  Indians  their  native  right, 
which  I  should  have  done  soon  after  the  purchase  was  made  of  the 
.state  of  Massachusetts,  but  that  I  felt  myself  restrained  from  doing  so 
by  motives  of  public  consideration.  The  war  between  the  Western 
Indian  nations  and  the  United  States  did  not  extend  to  the  Six  Nations, 
•of  which  the  Seneca  nation  is  one;  and  as  I  apprehended  that,  if  this 
nation  should  sell  its  right  during  the  existence  of  that  war,  they 
might  the  more  readily  be  induced  to  join  the  enemies  of  our  country, 
I  was  determined  not  to  make  the  purchase  whilst  that  war  lasted. 

When  peace  was  made  with  the  Indian  nations  I  turned  my 
thoughts  towards  the  purchase,  which  is  to  me  an  object  very  interest- 
ing ;  but  upon  it  being  represented  that  a  little  longer  patience,  until 
the  western  posts  should  be  delivered  up  by  the  British  government, 
might  be  public  utility,  I  concluded  to  wait  for  that  event  also,  which 
is  now  happily  accomplished,  and  there  seems  no  obstacle  to  restrain 
me  from  making  the  purchase,  especially  as  I  have  reason  to  believe 
the  Indians  are  Desirous  to  make  the  sale. 

The  delays  which  have  already  taken  place  and  that  arose  solely 
from  the  considerations  above  mentioned  have  been  extremely  detri- 
mental to  my  private  affairs  ;  but,  still  being  desirous  to  comply  with 
formalities  prescribed  by  certain  laws  of  the  United  States,  although 
those  laws  probably  do  not  reach  my  case.  I  now  make  application  to 
the  President  of  the  United  States  and  request  that  he  will  nominate 
and  appoint  a  commissioner  to  be  present  and  preside  at  a  treaty,  which 
he  will  be  pleased  to  authorize  to  be  held  with  the  Seneca  Nation,  for 
the  purpose  of  enabling  me  to  make  a  purchase  in  conformity  with  the 
formalities  required  by  law,  of  the  tract  of  country  for  which  I  have 
already  paid  a  very  large  sum  of  money.  My  right  to  pre-emption  is 
unequivocal,  and  the  land  is  become  so  necessary  to  the  growing  popu- 
lation and  surrounding  settlements  that  it  is  with  difficulty  that  the 
white  people  can  be  restrained  from  squattering  or  settling  down  upon 
these  lands,  which  if  they  should  do,  it  may  probably  bring  on  conten- 
tions with  the  Six  Nations.  This  will  be  prevented  by  a  timely,  fair 
and  honorable  purchase. 

This  proposed  treaty  ought  to  be  held  immediately  before  the 
hunting  season  or  another  year  will  be  lost,  as  the  Indians  cannot  be 
.collected  during  that  season.  The  loss  of  another  year,  under  the  pay- 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  7& 

merits  thus  made  for  these  lands,  would  be  ruinous  to  my  affairs  ;  and 
as  I  have  paid  so  great  deference  to  public  considerations  whilst  they 
did  exist,  I  expect  and  hope  that  my  request  will  be  readily  granted 
now,  when  there  can  be  no  cause  for  delay,  especially  if  the  Indians 
are  willing  to  sell,  which  will  be  tested  by  the  offer  to  buy. 

With  the  most  perfect  esteem  and  respect,  I  am,  sir,  your  most 
obedient  and  most  humble  servant, 

Robert  Morris. 

George  Washington,  Esq.,  President  of  the  United  States. 

President  Washington  appointed  a  member  of  congress  from  New 
Jersey,  named  Isaac  Smith,  as  the  commissioner.  But  having  been 
subsequently  appointed  a  judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  his  state,  Mr. 
Smith  found  that  his  judicial  duties  would  prevent  his  attendance  at 
the  treaty  ;  accordingly  he  declined,  and  Colonel  Jeremiah  Wadsworth, 
who  had  been  a  distinguished  member  of  congress  from  Connecticut, 
was  appointed  in  his  place. 

Unable  himself  to  take  part  in  the  treaty,  Robert  Morris  appointed 
his  son,  Thomas,  and  Charles  Williamson  as  his  attorneys  ;  but  Cap- 
tain Williamson,  busy  with  his  affairs  at  Bath,  declined  to  act,  and  so 
the  responsibility  for  conducting  the  difficult  and  delicate  negotiations 
fell  entirely  upon  the  younger  Morris. 

It  was  resolved  to  hold  the  treaty  at  Big  Tree,  near  the  settlement 
which  afterwards  became  Geneseo.  In  meadow  lands  within  the  cor- 
porate limits  of  the  village  of  Geneseo,  southwest  from  the  park, 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  above  the  Erie  railroad,  and  about  the  same 
distance  west  of  the  Mt.  Morris  road,  is  a  cobblestone  house  ;  on  the 
site  of  this  building  there  stood,  100  years  ago,  a  small  dwelling  erected 
by  William  and  James  Wadsworth.  This  was  rented  by  Thomas 
Morris  for  the  entertainment  of  the  principal  persons  at  the  treaty. 
He  also  caused  a  large  council  house  to  be  erected,  covered  with  boughs 
and  branches  of  trees.  Doty's  "History  of  Livingston  County"  says 
that  the  Indian  village  of  Big  Tree  was  west  of  the  Genesee  river  and 
that  the  big  tree  itself  stood  on  the  eastern  bank.  Some  Geneseo  anti» 
quarians  of  today  declard  that  the  village  was  east  of  the  Genesee. 
Both  are  correct,  the  explanation  being  that  the  village  was  moved. 
At  the  time  of  the  treaty,  however,  the  village  was  west  of  the  Gene- 
see.  It  not  only  appears  so  on  the  first  map  of  the  region  made  from 
actual  surveys,  but  the  treaty  as  agreed  upon  declared  that  the  reserva- 
tion of  Big  tree  should  embrace  the  village,  and  Ellicott's  map  of 
1804  shows  the  reservation  to  be  west  of  the  river.  In  1805  the  village 
was  moved,  and  on  the  map  showing  the  Phelps  and  Gorham  purchase 
in  1806  Big  Tree  village  appears  east  of  the  Genesee.  The  probability 
is  that  the  council  house  was  erected  on  the  eastern  bank,  and  Charles 
Jones,  who  derived  his  information  from  his  father,  Horatio  Jones, 
who  attended  the  treaty  and  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  negotiations, 
thinks  it  stood  500  feet  northwest  of  the  Wadsworth  dwelling. 

The  Indians  began  to  arrive  at  Big  Tree  late  in  August,  not  the 
Senecas  alone,  but  groups  from  the  other  nations — attracted  doubtless, 
by  the  hope  of  presents  and  the  possibility  of  good  living.  Fifty-two 
Indians  signed  the  treaty.  Many  of  them  were  famous  in  Indian 
annals.  Young  King,  Chief  Warrior,  Handsome  Lake,  the  Prophet, 


o 
se 
m 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  79 

Farmer's  Brother,  Red  Jacket,  Little  Billy,  Pollard,  the  Infant,  Corn- 
planter,  Destroy  Town,  Little  Beard,  Black  Snake — these  were  the 
leaders  of  the  Seuecas  at  Big  Tree,  interesting  men  all  of  them.  Time 
will  not  permit  me  to  give  biographies.  It  seems  necessary,  however, 
to  explain  that  there  were  two  Indians  known  to  the  whites  as  Big 
Tree. 

Ga-on-dah-go-waah,  called  sometimes  Big  Tree  and  sometimes  Great 
Tree,  was  a  full-blooded  Seneca  of  the  Hawk  clan  and  resided  for  many 
years  at  Big  Tree  village.  He  attended  the  Buffalo  treaty  of  July  8, 
1788,  when  Phelps  and  Gorham  made  their  purchase,  and  went  to 
Philadelphia  in  the  winter  of  1790  with  Cornplanter  and  Half  Town  to 
protest  against  what  they  regarded  an  unjust  treatment  from  Phelps 
and  his  associates.  He  was  there  again  with  Red  Jacket  in  1792  and 
died  in  that  city  in  April  of  that  year.  Consequently  he  did  not  attend 
the  Big  Tree  treaty.  This  chief's  daughter  had  a  son  whose  father 
was  a  Niagara  trader  named  Pollard.  The  boy  grew  up  in  the  Indian 
village  and  became  in  time  a  famous  chief.  His  name  was  Ga-on-do- 
wau-na,  which  also  meant  Big  Tree.  He  made  himself  conspicuous  in 
border  warfare,  and  was  at  the  massacre  of  Wyoming.  He  it  was  who 
signed  the  Big  Tree  treaty.  As  an  orator  he  was  but  little  inferior  to 
Red  Jacket,  and  his  character  was  finer.  After  the  death  of  Corn- 
planter  he  was,  perhaps,  the  noblest  of  the  Senecas.  He  was  among 
the  first  Indians  on  the  Buffalo  Creek  reservation  to  embrace  the  truths 
of  Christianity  and  thereafter  his  life  was  singularly  blameless  and 
beneficent.  He  was  sometimes  called  Colonel  John  Pollard.  He  died 
on  the  reservation  April  10,  1841,  and  was  buried  in  the  old  Mission 
cemetery. 

Thomas  Morris  reached  the  Genesee  on  August  22d.  The  commis- 
sioners arrived  four  days  later,  Colonel  Jeremiah  Wadsworth  to  repre- 
sent the  United  States  and  General  William  Shepherd  to  represent  the 
commonwealth  of  Massachusetts.  Captain  Israel  Chapin,  who  had 
succeeded  his  father,  General  Israel  Chapin,  as  superintendent  of 
Indian  affairs,  attended ;  James  Rees,  subsequently  of  Geneva,  was 
there  and  acted  as  secretary,  and  among  other  white  men  who  attended 
and  were  greatly  interested  in  the  negotiations  were  William  Bayard 
of  New  York,  the  agent  of  the  Holland  land  company ;  two  young 
gentlemen  from  Holland  named  Van  Staphorst,  near  relatives  of  the 
Van  Staphorst  who  was  one  of  the  principal  members  of  the  Holland 
company,  Nathaniel  W.  Howell,  Jasper  Parish  and  Horatio  Jones. 

Turner's  two  Histories,  Stone's  "Life  of  Red  Jacket,"  and  Doty's 
"History  of  Livingston  County,"  contain  accounts  of  the  treaty  of 
Big  Tree  which  are  practically  the  same,  for  they  were  based  upon  the 
careful,  but  not  in  all  respects,  accurate  statement  which  Thomas 
Morris  prepared  in  1844  for  the  use  of  our  local  historians.  But  while 
I  have  condensed  this  narrative  greatly  in  some  respects,  I  have  sup- 
plemented and  corrected  it,  with  the  aid  of  several  documents  of  con- 
siderable historical  importance,  which  have  been  carefully  preserved 
for  nearly  a  hundred  years. 

Through  the  kindness  of  the  New  York  Historical  society  I  have 
been  able  to  procure  a  copy  of  Robert  Morris's  Letter  of  Instructions 
to  Thomas  Morris  and  Charles  Williamson,  his  agents,  for  the  man- 
agement of  the  treaty,  and  also  a  copy  of  Thomas  Morris's  Rough 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  80 

Memoranda  of  the  proceedings  at  the  treaty.  Both  are  unpublished 
manuscripts.  The  letter  shows  what  Robert  Morris  wanted  done  and 
how  his  agents  were  to  go  about  it.  The  memoranda  are  valuable 
because  they  contain  copies  of  all  the  principal  speeches  delivered  at 
the  treaty.  These  documents  are  very  long  and  the  reading  of  them 
would  occupy  too  much  of  your  time.  I  will  give  a  condensation  of 
the  Letter  of  Instructions. 

This  is  dated  Philadelphia,  August  1,  1797.  Robert  Morris  says  he 
has  not  the  interest  in  the  lands  that  he  ought  to  have  retained,  but  is 
in  duty  bound  to  extinguish  the  Indian  title.  Then  follow  instructions 
under  twenty-four  heads.  He  thinks  the  business  of  the  treaty  may  be 
facilitated  by  withholding  liquor  from  the  Indians,  '  'until  the  business 
is  finished,  showing  and  promising  it  to  them  when  the  treaty  is  over." 
He  adds  that  the  liquors  and  stores  he  sends  up  '  'must  be  used  and  if 
not  sufficient  more  must  be  got."  The  commissioners  and  other  white 
men  at  the  treaty  must  be  entertained  properly,  and  Mr.  Morris  insisted 
that  Jones,  Smith,  Johnson,  Dean,  and  Parish  must  be  employed  to 
assist  in  the  negotiations,  and  that  they  should  be  "compensated  with 
a  reasonable  liberality."  Mr.  Morris  thought  an  annuity  of  $4,000  or 
$5,000  forever  would  be  a  sufficient  price  for  the  land  he  desired  ;  but 
he  added  that  if  the  Indians  wanted  the  full  purchase  price  in  cash 
he  would  pay  §75,000  within  sixty  or  ninety  days.  He  said  :  "The 
whole  cost  and  charges  of  this  treaty  being  at  my  expense,  you  will 
direct  everything  upon  the  principles  of  a  liberal  economy.  The  In- 
dians must  have  plenty  of  food,  and  also  of  liquor,  when  you  see  proper 
to  order  it  to  them."  Concluding  his  voluminous  instructions,  Robert 
Morris  said  :  "You  are  to  consider  what  I  have  already  written,  rather 
as  outlines  for  your  conduct  on  this  business  than  as  positive  orders 
not  to  be  departed  from.  I  have  perfect  confidence  in  your  friendship, 
and  also  in  your  integrity,  good  sense  and  discretion,  and  therefore  I 
confide  to  your  management  the  whole  of  this  business  without  limita- 
tion or  restriction.  *  *  *  If  you  can  make  the  purchase  on 
better  terms  than  I  have  proposed  I  am  sure  you  will  do  it,  or  on  the 
contrary,  should  you  be  obliged  to  give  more,  I  shall  acquiesce.  You 
know  it  is  high  time  this  purchase  should  be  made,  and  it  is  of  vast 
importance  to  all  concerned  to  have  it  accomplished,  therefore  you 
must  effect  it  at  all  events,  and  I  can  only  repeat  that  although  I  wish 
to  buy  as  reasonable  as  may  be,  yet  I  do  not  mean  to  starve  the  cause, 
for  I  must  have  it." 

The  council  was  formally  opened  at  1  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of 
August  28,  1797.  Cornplanter  spoke  first.  Turning  to  Thomas  Morris 
he  acknowledged  the  speech  of  invitation  conveyed  by  Jasper  Parish 
and  Horatio  Jones,  and  returned  the  string  of  wampum  that  had 
reached  him  with  the  invitation  to  the  treaty.  Then  the  commission- 
ers from  the  United  States  and  Massachusetts  presented  their  creden- 
tials and  addressed  the  assembly,  assuring  the  Indians  that  their  inter- 
ests would  be  duly  guarded  and  that  no  injustice  would  be  done. 
Thomas  Morris  then  made  a  short  address,  saying  that  his  father  was 
unable  to  appear,  but  had  directed  the  delivery  of  the  following  speech 
which  he  had  written  to  them  from  Philadelphia,  (and  which  is  now 
made  public  for  the  first  time  :) 

Brothers  of  the  Seneca  Nation — It  was  my  wish  and  my  intention 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  81 

to  have  come  into  your  country  and  to  have  met  you  at  this  treaty,  but 
the  Great  Spirit  has  ordained  otherwise  and  I  cannot  go.  I  grow  old 
and  corpulent,  and  not  very  well,  and  am  fearful  of  traveling  so  far 
during  the  hot  weather  in  the  month  of  August. 

Brothers,  as  I  cannot  be  with  you  at  the  treaty,  I  have  deputed 
and  appointed  my  son  Thomas  Morris,  Esq. ,  and  my  friend  Charles 
Williamson,  Esq.,  to  appear  for  me  and  on  my  behalf  to  speak  and 
treat  with  you  in  the  same  manner  and  to  the  same  effect  as  I  might  or 
could  do  were  I  present  at  this  treaty  with  you,  and  it  is  my  request 
that  you  will  listen  to  them  with  the  same  attention  that  you  would  to 
me. 

Brothers,  I  have  the  greatest  love  and  esteem  for  my  son  and  my 
friend.  They  possess  my  entire  confidence  and  whatever  they  engage 
for  on  my  behalf  you  may  depend  that  I  will  perform  the  same  as 
exactly  as  if  I  was  there  and  made  the  engagements  with  you  myself  ; 
therefore  I  pray  you  to  listen  to  them  and  believe  in  what  they  say. 

Brothers,  it  is  now  six  years  since  I  have  been  invested  with  the 
exclusive  right  to  acquire  your  lands.  During  the  whole  of  this  time 
you  have  quietly  possessed  them  without  being  importuned  by  me  to 
sell  them,  but  I  now  think  that  it  is  time  for  them  to  be  productive  to 
you.  It  is  with  a  view  to  render  them  so  that  I  have  acquiesced  in 
your  desire  to  meet  you  at  the  Genesee  river.  I  shall  take  care  imme- 
diately to  deposit  in  the  bank  of  the  United  States  whatever  my  son 
and  my  friend  may  agree  to  pay  you  in  my  behalf. 

Brothers,  from  the  personal  acquaintance  which  I  have  with  your 
chiefs  and  head  men,  I  am  assured  that  their  wisdom  and  integrity  will 
direct  the  object  of  the  treaty  to  the  happiness  of  yourselves  and  your 
posterity.  It  is  a  pleasing  circumstance  to  me  that  my  business  is  to 
be  transacted  with  such  men,  because  while  on  the  one  hand  they  will 
take  care  of  your  interests,  on  the  other  whatever  is  done  between  them 
and  me  will  be  strong  and  binding.  I  hope  that  wise  men  will  always 
be  at  the  head  of  your  councils,  but  for  fear  that  those  that  succeed 
your  present  leading  men  should  not  deserve  and  possess  your  confi- 
dence as  fully  as  these  do,  you  had  better  have  your  business  so  fixed 
now  as  not  to  leave  it  in  the  power  of  wrong-headed  men  in  future  to 
waste  the  property  given  to  you  by  the  Great  Spirit  for  the  use  of 
yourselves  and  your  posterity. 

Brothers,  I  have  now  opened  my  mind  to  you,  and  as  I  depend  on 
my  son  and  my  friend  to  carry  on  and  conclude  the  business  with  you 
I  shall  only  add  that  the  President  of  the  United  States,  approving  of 
this  treaty  and  being  your  father  and  friend,  has  appointed  an  honor- 
able and  worthy  gentleman,  formerly  a  member  of  congress,  the  Hon. 
Jeremiah  Wadsworth,  Esq.,  to  be  a  commissioner  on  behalf  of  the 
United  States  to  attend  and  superintend  this  treaty,  and  the  governor 
of  the  state  of  Massachusetts  also  appointed  an  honorable  and  worthy 
gentleman,  formerly  a  general  in  the  American  army  and  now  a  mem- 
ber of  congress,  the  Hon.  William  Shepherd,  Esq.,  to  be  a  commis- 
sioner to  attend  this  treaty  on  behalf  of  the  state  of  Massachusetts. 
These  gentlemen  will  attend  to  what  is  said  and  done  on  both  sides  in 
order  to  see  that  mutual  fair  dealings  and  justice  shall  take  place. 
Their  office  and  duty  will  be  rendered  agreeable  so  far  as  depends  on 
me  because  I  desire  nothing  but  fair,  open  and  honest  transactions. 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  82 

Brothers,  I  bid  you  farewell.    May  the  Great  Spirit  ever  befriend 
and  protect  you. 

After  the  delivery  of  this  shrewdly  written  speech,  the  council 
adjourned  to  give  the  Indians  time  to  deliberate.  There  was  a  brief 
session  the  next  day,  when  Red  Jacket  declared  that  something  had 
been  kept  back,  and  asked  for  full  particulars.  On  the  following  day 
Thomas"  Morris  delivered  a  long  and  carefully  prepared  speech,  setting 
forth  the  reasons  why,  in  his  opinion,  the  Indians  should  sell  their 
lands.  Among  other  things,  he  said  :  "You  will  receive  a  larger  sum 
of  money  than  has  ever  yet  been  paid  to  you  for  your  lands;  this  money 
can  be  so  disposed  of  that  not  only  you  but  your  children  and  your 
children's  children  can  derive  from  it  a  lasting  benefit.  It  can  be 
placed  in  the  bank  of  the  United  States  from  whence  a  sufficient 
income  can  annually  be  drawn  by  the  President,  your  father,  to  make 
you  and  your  posterity  happy  forever.  Then  the  wants  of  your  old 
and  poor  can  be  supplied,  and  in  times  of  scarcity  the  women  and 
children  of  your  nation  can  be  fed  and  you  will  no  longer  experience 
the  miseries  resulting  from  nakedness  and  want.  *  *  Your  white 
brethren  are  willing  to  provide  you  with  the  things  which  they  enjoy 
provided  you  furnish  them  with  the  room  which  they  want  and  of 
which  you  have  too  much.  Brothers,  you  may  perhaps  suppose  that 
by  selling  your  lands  you  will  do  an  injury  to  your  posterity.  This, 
brothers,  is  not  the  case.  By  disposing  of  the  money  which  you  will 
receive  for  them  in  the  manner  which  I  have  mentioned,  your  children 
will  always  hereafter  be  as  rich  as  you  are  now."  Concluding,  Mr. 
Morris  said  that  if  the  Indians  declined  his  offer  "neither  my  father 
nor  any  person  in  his  behalf  will  ever  come  forward  and  treat  with 
you  on  the  generous  terms  now  proposed." 

It  will  be  observed  that  Mr.  Morris  did  not  say  that  his  father 
had  already  sold  the  lands  to  the  Hollanders  and  was  required  to 
extinguish  the  Indian  title,  and  that  he  would  be  compelled  to  nego- 
tiate again  if  the  Indians  refused  now.  Mr.  Morris  also  refrained  from 
naming  the  price  he  was  willing  to  pay. 

On  August  30th  and  September  1st  there  was  no  public  council. 
On  September  2d  brief  speeches  were  made  by  Farmer's  Brother  and 
Red  Jacket,  which  were  not  at  all  friendly.  In  the  evening  Thomas 
Morris  announced  privately  to  some  of  the  chiefs  that  he  was  willing 
to  pay  $100,000,  to  be  invested  so  as  to  yield  the  Indians  $6,000  a  year. 
On  the  following  day  Red  Jacket  made  an  elaborate  speech,  setting 
forth  the  objections  to  the  sale  of  the  lands.  Mr.  Morris  then  publicly 
named  the  price  he  was  willing  to  pay,  and  declared  that  if  this  were 
refused  his  father  would  never  again  meet  the  Senecas  in  general 
council — which,  of  course,  was  a  decided  stretching  of  the  truth.  On 
September  4th  Cornplanter  complained  that  the  sachems  were  conduct- 
ing the  whole  business  themselves,  and  threatened  to  go  home.  It  was 
evident  that  there  were  serious  divisions  among  the  Indians.  Indeed, 
a  quarrel  at  this  session  was  narrowly  averted.  There  was  no  meet- 
ing on  the  5th.  Mr.  Bayard  and  the  two  commissioners,  becoming 
impatient,  urged  Mr.  Morris  to  more  vigorous  action.  He  protested 
that  he  knew  better  than  they  the  peculiarities  of  the  Indian  character; 
they  insisted,  and  Mr.  Morris,  yielding  reluctantly,  gave  at  the  next 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  83 

session  an  emphatic  negative  to  a  proposition  by  the  chiefs,  declaring 
that  if  they  had  nothing  better  to  offer,  the  council  might  as  well  end. 
Red  Jacket  immediately  sprang  to  his  feet  and  exclaimed :  "You  have 
now  arrived  at  the  point  to  which  I  wish  to  bring  you.  You  told  us 
in  your  first  address  that  even  in  the  event  of  our  not  agreeing,  we 
would  part  friends.  Here,  then,  is  my  hand.  I  now  cover  up  the 
council  fire."  Apparently  this  ended  the  council.  The  decision  of  the 
chiefs  was  received  with  great  applause  and  the  forest  rang  with 
savage  yells.  The  commissioners  and  Mr.  Bayard,  seeing  the  unfor- 
tunate result  of  their  interference,  urged  Mr.  Morris  to  endeavor  to 
rekindle  the  council  fire,  and  promised  that  if  he  succeeded  they  would 
offer  no  further  suggestions. 

Meeting  Farmer's  Brother,  Mr.  Morris  declared  that  according  to 
Indian  usage  only  he  who  had  kindled  a  council  fire  had  the  right  to 
put  it  out ;  consequently  Red  Jacket  had  exceeded  his  authority,  and 
"the  fire  was  still  burning."  This  having  been  admitted,  and  a  very 
important  point  having  been  gained,  Mr.  Morris  called  the  Seneca 
women  together,  distributed  handsome  presents  and  argued  with 
them  in  favor  of  the  sale  of  the  lands.  It  was  one  of  the  features  of 
the  Indian  policy  that  the  lands  belonged  to  the  warriors  who  defended 
them  and  the  women  who  tilled  them,  and  though  the  sachems  usually 
negotiated  the  treaties,  the  warriors  and  women  had  the  right,  when 
the  sale  of  land  was  in  question  to  interfere.  In  this  instance  the 
women  exercised  their  right,  and  the  council  reassembled.  Then 
Cornplanter  conducted  the  Indian  side  of  the  negotiations,  Red  Jacket 
having  been  superseded. 

Within  a  short  time  an  agreement  was  reached  and  the  Indian 
lands  west  of  the  Genesee,  excepting  ten  reservations  embracing  337 
square  miles,  were  sold  to  Robert  Morris  for  §100,000,  to  be  invested 
in  the  stock  of  the  bank  of  the  United  States  and  held  in  the  name  of 
the  President  for  the  benefit  of  the  Indians.  The  treaty  was  signed 
on  September  15,  1797.  The  lands  sold  were  described  as  follows : 

All  that  certain  tract  of  land,  except  as  hereinafter  excepted,  lying 
within  the  county  of  Ontario  and  State  of  New  York,  being  part  of  a 
tract  of  land,  the  right  of  pre-emption  whereof  was  ceded  by  the  State 
of  New  York  to  the  commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,  by  deed  of  cession 
executed  at  Hartford,  on  the  sixteenth  day  of  December,  in  the  year 
of  our  Lord  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty-six,  being  all 
such  part  thereof  as  is  not  included  in  the  Indian  purchase  made  by 
Oliver  Phelps  and  Nathaniel  Gorham,  and  bounded  as  follows,  to  wit : 
easterly,  by  the  land  confirmed  to  Oliver  Phelps  and  Nathaniel  Gorham 
by  the  legislature  of  the  commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  by  an  act 
passed  the  twenty-first  day  of  November,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty-eight ;  southerly,  by  the  north 
boundary  line  of  the  state  of  Pennsylvania ;  westerly,  partly  by  a 
tract  of  land,  part  of  the  land  ceded  by  the  state  of  Massachusetts  to 
the  United  States,  and  by  them  sold  to  Pennsylvania,  being  a  right 
angled  triangle,  whose  hypothenuse  is  in  or  along  the  shore  of  Lake 
Erie  ;  partly  by  Lake  Erie,  from  the  northern  point  of  that  triangle  to 
the  southern  bounds  of  a  tract  of  land  one  mile  in  width  lying  on  and 
along  the  east  side  of  the  strait  of  Niagara,  and  partly  "by  the  said 
tract  to  Lake  Ontario  ;  and  on  the  north  by  the  boundary  line  between 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  84 

the  United  States  and  the  king  of  Great  Britain  ;  excepting  neverthe- 
less, and  always  reserving  out  of  this  grant  and  conveyance,  all  such 
pieces  and  parcels  of  the  aforesaid  tract,  and  such  privileges  thereunto 
belonging,  as  are  next  hereinafter  particularly  mentioned,  which  said 
pieces  or  parcels  of  land  so  excepted,  are  by  the  parties  to  these  pres- 
ents, clearly  and  fully  understood  to  remain  the  property  of  the  said 
parties  of  the  first  part,  in  as  full  and  ample  manner  as  if  these  pres- 
ents had  not  been  executed. 

The  following  were  the  reservations  as  agreed  upon:  Cattaraugus 
reservation,  containing  26, 880  acres,  in  the  counties  of  Chautauqua  and 
Erie;  Allegany  reservation  in  Cattaraugus  county,  containing  forty-two 
square  miles;  Buffalo  Creek  reservation  in  Erie  county,  containing  130 
square  miles;  Tonawanda  reservation  in  the  counties  of  Erie,  Gene- 
see,  and  Niagara,  containing  seventy -one  square  miles;  Conawaugus 
reservation,  two  square  miles:  Big  Tree  reservation,  two  square  miles; 
Little  Beard's  reservation,  two  square  miles;  Squawky  Hill  reservation, 
two  square  miles;  Gardeau  reservation,  twenty -eight  square  miles; 
Caneadea  reservation,  sixteeen  square  miles;  in  all  337  square  miles. 

The  Senecas  also  intended  to  reserve  the  Oil  Spring  reservation, 
one  mile  square,  containing  their  famous  oil  spring,  three  miles  west 
of  Cuba  in  the  counties  of  Allegany  and  Cattaraugus,  from  which  oil 
had  been  gathered  for  centuries.  As  it  was  not  included  in  the  deed, 
the  title  passed  to  Robert  Morris  and  the  Holland  Land  company,  and 
then  to  three  extensive  land  owners  of  Ellicottville.  These  men 
supposed  it  was  an  Indian  reservation,  and  treated  it  as  such  until  1842, 
when  one  of  them  discovered  that  it  was  not  one  of  the  reservations 
mentioned  in  the  treaty.  Accordingly  they  had  the  land  surveyed 
and  sold.  In  1856  the  Indians  began  legal  proceedings  and  ultimately 
succeeded  in  getting  possession  of  the  property.  Governor  Blacksnake 
supplied  the  most  important  evidence  on  the  trial  of  the  suit.  He 
was  present  at  the  council  at  Big  Tree  and  remembered  that  when  the 
treaty  was  read  over  the  omission  of  the  Oil  Spring  reservation  was 
noticed  and  commented  on,  and  that  Thomas  Morris  executed  and 
delivered  to  Handsome  Lake,  the  Prophet,  a  separate  paper,  reserving 
this  tract  to  the  Indians.  Blacksnake  also  had  in  his  possession  a  copy 
of  the  first  map  of  the  Holland  Purchase  made  by  Joseph  Ellicott  and 
presented  by  him,  this  map  showing  by  means  of  red  ink  the  eleven 
Indian  reservations. 

There  were  two  incidents  at  the  Treaty  of  Big  Tree  that  deserve 
more  than  passing  notice — one  as  to  the  purchase  money  and  the  second 
in  regard  to  the  claim  which  was  made  by  Indian  Allan's  daughter  to 
the  Mt.  Morris  tract. 

The  consideration  for  the  sale  of  the  Indian  lands  to  Robert  Morris 
was  $100,000  to  be  invested  in  the  stock  of  the  Bank  of  the  United  States, 
and  the  stock  was  to  be  held  by  the  President  for  the  benefit  of  the  Indians. 
They  were  to  receive  interest  or  dividends  on  the  stock,  and  it  was  very 
difficult  for  the  white  men  to  make  the  Indians  understand  how  money 
could  make  money — or,  as  they  expressed  it,  how  money  could  grow. 
This  was  accomplished  at  length,  however,  and  the  Indians  went  away 
satisfied  that  Washington  could  guard  their  interests  securely  and  that 
all  would  be  well.  Everything  did  go  well  till  1811,  when  there  was  a 
failure  on  the  part  of  the  government  to  pay.  Then  the  anxious 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  85 

Indians  held  a  council  at  Buffalo  Creek  and  Farmer's  Brother,  Young 
King,  Pollard,  Chief  Warrior,  and  other  Seneca  chiefs  agreed  upon  the 
following  letter,  which  was  sent  to  the  seat  of  Federal  government  by 
special  messenger: 

To  the  Honorable  William  Eustis,  Secretary  at  War: 

The  sachems  and  chief  warriors  of  the  Seneca  nation  of  Indians 
understanding  you  are  the  person  appointed  by  the  great  council  of 
your  nation  to  manage  and  conduct  the  affairs  of  the  several  nations  of 
Indians  with  whom  you  are  at  peace  and  on  terms  of  friendship,  come, 
at  this  time,  as  children  to  a  father,  to  lay  before  you  the  trouble  which 
we  have  on  our  minds. 

Brother,  we  do  not  think  it  best  to  multiply  words;  we  will  there- 
fore tell  you  what  our  complaint  is.  Brother,  listen  to  what  we  say: 
Some  years  since  we  held  a  treaty  at  Big  Tree,  near  the  Q-enesee  river. 
This  treaty  was  called  by  our  great  father,  the  President  of  the  United 
States.  He  sent  an  agent,  Colonel  Wadsworth,  to  attend  this  treaty 
for  the  purpose  of  advising  us  in  the  business  and  seeing  that  we  had 
justice  done  us.  At  this  treaty  we  sold  to  Robert  Morris  the  greatest 
part  of  our  country.  The  sum  he  gave  us  was  $100,000.  The  commis- 
sioners who  were  appointed  on  your  part  advised  us  to  place  this  money 
in  the  hands  of  our  great  father,  the  President  of  the  United  States. 
He  told  us  that  our  father  loved  his  red  children  and  would  take  care 
of  our  money,  and  plant  it  in  a  field  where  it  would  bear  seed  forever, 
as  long  as  trees  grow,  or  waters  run.  Our  money  has  heretofore  been 
of  great  service  to  us.  It  has  helped  us  to  support  our  old  people  and 
our  women  and  children;  but  we  are  told  the  field  where  our  money 
was  planted  is  become  barren.  Brother,  we  do  not  understand  your 
way  of  doing  business.  This  thing  is  very  heavy  on  our  minds.  We 
mean  to  hold  our  white  brethren  of  the  United  States  by  the  hand;  but 
this  weight  lies  heavy.  We  hope  you  will  remove  it.  We  have  heard  of 
the  bad  conduct  of  our  brothers  toward  the  setting  sun.  We  are  sorry  for 
what  they  have  done;  but  you  must  not  blame  us.  We  had  no  hand  in 
this  bad  business.  They  have  had  bad  people  among  them.  It  is  your 
enemies  have  done  this.  We  have  persuaded  our  agent  to  take  this 
talk  to  your  great  council.  He  knows  onr  situation  and  will  speak  our 
minds. 

Immediately  upon  the  receipt  of  this  letter  at  Washington  $8,000 
was  appropriated  and  the  Indians  once  more  received  their  money. 
This  §8,000  was  "in  lieu  of  the  dividend  on  the  bank  shares  held  by  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  in  trust  for  the  Seneca  nation,  in  the 
bank  of  the  United  States." 

There  was  something  decidedly  queer  about  the  sale  of  the  Allan 
lands.  Ebenezer  Allan  had  two  half-breed  daughters,  Mary  and  Chloe, 
and  on  July  15,  1791,  the  Seneca  sachems  deeded  to  the  girls  a  tract  of 
land  four  miles  square  at  what  is  now  Mt.  Morris.  The  deed  declared 
that  this  land  was  to  be  in  full  of  their  share  of  all  the  lands  belonging 
to  the  Seneca  nation.  This  deed  was  executed  at  the  treaty  of  New- 
town;  it  was  approved  by  Timothy  Pickering,  United  States  commis- 
sioner: and  it  was  recorded  in  the  county  clerk's  office  at  Canandaigua. 
The  following  is  an  extract  from  the  deed: 

"Whereas,  our  said  brother,  Jen-uh-gheo,  the  father  of   the   said 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  86 

Mary  and  Chloe,  has  expressed  to  us  a  desire  to  have  the  share  of  the 
Seneca  lands  to  which  the  said  Mary  and  Chloe  (whom  we  consider 
our  children)  are  entitled  to  have,  set  off  to  them  in  severalty,  that 
they  may  enjoy  the  same  as  their  separate  portions;  now,  know  ye,  that 
we,  the  sachems,  chiefs  and  warriors  of  the  Seneca  nation,  in  the  name 
and  by  the  authority  of  our  whole  nation,  whom  according  to  our 
ancient  customs  in  like  cases  we  represent,  and  in  consideration  of  the 
rights  of  said  Mary  and  Chloe,  as  children  and  members  of  the  Seneca 
nation,  and  of  our  love  and  affection  for  them,  do  hereby  set  off  and 
assign  to  them,  the  said  Mary  and  Chloe,  and  to  their  heirs  and  assigns, 
a  tract  of  land,  on  part  of  which  the  said  Jen-uh-sheo,  our  brother, 
now  dwells  upon  the  waters  of  the  Jenusheo  river  in  the  county  of 
Ontario,  in  the  state  of  New  York,  bounded  as  follows;  Beginning  at 
an  elm  tree  standing  in  the  forks  of  the  Jen-uh-sheo  river  (the  boundary 
between  our  lands  and  the  lands  we  sold  to  Oliver  Phelps  and  Mr. 
G-orham),  and  running  from  thence  due  south  four  miles,  thence  due 
west  four  miles,  thence  due  north  four  miles,  and  thence  due  east  four 
miles,  until  the  line  strikes  the  said  elm  tree,  with  the  appurtenances. 
To  have  and  to  hold  the  said  tract  of  land,  with  the  appurtenances, 
to  them,  the  said  Mary  Allan  and  Chloe  Allan,  and  to  their  heirs  and 
assigns,  as  tenants  in  common,  to  their  use  forever." 

When  he  heard  of  this  transaction,  Secretary  of  War  Knox  became 
greatly  excited.  He  thought  Pickering  had  blundered.  He  called 
Washington's  attention  to  the  matter,  and  by  direction  of  the  President 
wrote  to  Governor  Clinton  of  New  York,  and  expressly  disavowed  the 
claim,  which  he  supposed  was  implied  by  Pickering's  action  that  the 
Indians  could  "alienate"  their  lands  under  the  supervision  of  the 
United  States  and  without  consulting  New  York  and  Massachusetts. 
But  it  was  not  Pickering  but  the  secretary  himself  who  blundered,  and 
his  mistake  was  due  to  his  ignorance  of  the  Indian  laws  of  descent. 
When  Knox  called  Pickering  to  account,  the  latter  replied  as  follows: 

"It  appeared  to  be  understood  by  the  Senecas  that  Messrs.  Morris 
and  Ogden,  as  the  grantees  of  Massachusetts,  had  the  right  of  pre-emp- 
tion of  all  their  lands.  But  at  the  same  time  there  existed  nothing  to 
bar  a  division  of  their  whole  country  among  themselves;  and  if  they 
could  divide  the  whole,  they  could  certainly  set  off  a  part  to  two  indi- 
viduals of  their  nation  as  their  share.  This  was  the  object  of  their 
deed  to  Allan's  children,  whom  they  called  their  children,  agreeably  to 
the  rule  of  descent  among  them,  which  is  in  the  female  line;  and  in 
this  deed  the  land  assigned  is  declared  to  be  in  full  of  those  two  chil- 
dren's share  of  the  whole  Seneca  country.  Here  was  the  ground  of  my 
ratification.  Now,  you  will  be  pleased  to  recollect  that  before  the 
matter  was  opened  in  council  I  had  repeated  the  law  of  the  United 
States  relative  to  Indian  lands  and  the  solemn  declaration  of  the 
President  last  winter  to  the  Cornplanter  that  they  (the  Indians)  had  the 
right  to  sell,  or  to  refuse  to  sell,  their  lands,  and  that,  in  respect  to 
their  lands,  they  might  depend  on  the  protection  of  the  United  States, 
so  that  on  this  head  they  had  now  no  cause  for  jealousy  or  discontent. 
This  being  by  them  well  understood,  I  saw  no  way  of  avoiding  the 
ratification  of  the  assignment  to  their  two  children,  without  reviving, 
or  rather  exciting,  their  utmost  jealousy,  as  it  would  have  been  denying 
the  free  enjoyment  of  their  own  lands  by  some  members  of  the  nation, 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  87 

according  to  the  will  of  the  nation;  and  a  denial,  I  was  apprehensive, 
would  lead  them  to  think  that  the  solemn  assurance  of  the  President 
was  made  but  to  amuse  and  deceive.  Here  you  see  my  great  induce- 
ment to  the  ratification." 

This  of  course  was  conclusive,  and  Secretary  Knox  had  nothing 
more  to  say  on  the  subject. 

With  the  Indian  deed  to  his  daughters  in  his  possession  Ebenezer 
Allan  went  to  Philadelphia  and  sold  the  land  to  Robert  Morris  for  dry 
goods  and  trinklets,  and  returned  with  these  articles  to  what  is  now  Mt. 
Morris  and  began  to  trade  with  the  Indians. 

At  the  treaty  of  Big  Tree  four  years  later  one  of  Allan's  daughters 
appeared  and  denied  the  right  of  the  Indians  to  sell  the  Mt.  Morris 
tract.  Thomas  Morris  replied  that  his  father  had  already  paid  Allan 
for  the  land  and  was  now  paying  the  nation  for  it  again.  The  girl 
denied  it,  and  appealed  to  one  of  the  commissioners,  who  replied  that 
she  had  had  bad  advisers. 

The  first  edition  of  Seaver's  "Life  of  Mary  Jemison,"  was  published 
in  1824  by  James  D.  Bemis  of  Canandaigua.  This  little  volume  is  now 
among  the  scarcest  of  American  books.  It  contains  some  statements 
not  be  found  in  later  editions.  Among  them  is  this,  from  the  lips  of 
the  White  Woman: 

"At  the  great  treaty  of  Big  Tree  one  of  Allan's  daughters  claimed 
the  land  which  he  had  sold  to  Morris.  The  claim  was  examined  and 
decided  against  her  in  favor  of  Ogden,  Trurnbull  and  Rogers  and 
others  who  were  creditors  of  Robert  Morris.  Allan  yet  believed  that 
his  daughter  had  an  indisputable  right  to  the  land  in  question  and 
got  me  to  go  with  Mother  Farley,  a  half  Indian  woman,  to  assist  him, 
by  interceding  with  Morris  for  it,  and  to  urge  the  propriety  of  her 
claim.  We  went  to  Thomas  Morris,  and  having  stated  to  him  our 
business,  he  told  us  plainly  that  he  had  no  land  to  give  away,  and 
that  as  the  title  was  good,  he  never  would  allow  Allan,  nor  his  heirs, 
one  foot,  or  words  to  that  effect.  We  returned  to  Allan  the  answer  we 
had  received,  and  he,  conceiving  all  further  attempts  to  be  useless, 
went  home." 

When  Allan  visited  him  in  Philadelphia,  Robert  Morris  knew  per- 
fectly well  that  Allan  had  no  right  to  sell  the  land  he  offered,  for  it 
was  not  deeded  to  Allan,  but  to  Allan's  daughters. 

In  Doty's  excellent  "History  of  Livingston  County"  the  statement 
is  made  that  Allan  gave  Morris  a  warranty  deed,  but  this,  I  am  con- 
vinced is  a  mistake.  He  had  no  right  to  give  a  deed  :  and  as  a  matter 
of  fact  there  is  no  deed  or  other  document  on  record.  If  Allan  execu- 
ted a  paper  of  any  kind,  it  was  a  contract  or  bill  of  sale  of  the  im- 
provements. 

I  think  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  Ebenezer  Allan's  daughter  was 
deliberately  defrauded  at  the  treaty  of  Big  Tree.  The  white  men  took 
advantage  of  the  ignorance  of  the  Indians  and  forced  the  claim  through. 
Robert  Morris  was  well  pleased  with  his  son's  management  of  this 
affair,  and  promised  to  give  him  one-half  of  the  sixteen  square  miles 
of  land.  He  was  unable  to  keep  his  promise,  however.  As  to  Eben- 
ezer Allan,  it  is  fair  to  assume  that  the  Bluebeard  of  the  border  knew 
he  had  done  a  discreditable  and  dishonest  thing,  for  otherwise  he 
would  have  appeared  at  the  treaty  himself  and  substantiated  the  state- 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  88 

ments  of  his  daughter  instead  of  sending  Mary  Jemison  to  plead  pri- 
vately with  Thomas  Morris. 

In  his  account  of  the  treaty — the  acconnt  which  all  our  historians 
have  adopted — Thomas  Morris  says  as  little  as  possible  about  the 
means  he  used  to  influence  the  Indians  after  Red  Jacket  had  raked  up 
the  council  fire.  He  acknowledges  that  he  argued  with  the  warriors 
and  women  and  distributed  presents  to  the  latter,  and  then  says  : 

"For  some  days  the  chief  women  and  warriors  might*  be  seen 
scattered  about  in  little  knots ;  after  which  I  received  a  message 
informing  me  that  the  women  and  warriors  would  meet  me  in  council 
and  negotiate  with  me." 

It  is  a  fact,  however,  which  I  am  able  to  prove,  and  which  is  now 
made  public  for  the  first  time,  that  during  this  interval  Thomas  Morris 
and  the  representatives  of  the  Holland  Land  company  were  secretly 
bribing  the  warriors.  They  not  only  paid  them  money,  but  agreed  to 
give  them  annuities  so  long  as  they  lived.  And  it  was  by  bribery 
rather  than  by  argument,  that  Morris  brought  about  the  reopening  of 
the  council,  and  finally  secured  the  consent  of  the  Indians  to  sell.  It 
is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  Morris  tells  us  nothing  of  this  in  his 
statement ;  and  doubtless  he  was  as  careful  to  conceal  the  bribery 
from  the  Indians  generally  as  he  was  to  conceal  it  from  the  historians 
of  Western  New  York.  I  have  in  my  possession  copies  of  some  of  the 
original  documents,  proving  beyond  question  the  truth  of  my  state- 
ments. Here,  for  instance,  is  a  receipt  acknowledging  the  payment  of 
one  of  the  annuities : 

Received  of  Messrs.  Leroy,  Bayard  &  McEvers  and  Thomas  Mor- 
ris, Esq.,  by  the  hands  of  Erastus  Granger,  the  sum  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars,  being  in  full  for  my  annuity  for  the  year  1801  due 
me  by  agreement  with  Robert  Morris  at  Big  Tree  in  September,  1797. 

his 

Signed  Corn  x  Planter. 

In  presence  of  Jasper  Parrish.  mark 

It  is  clear  from  this  that  Cornplanter's  price  was  §250  a  year  so 
long  as  he  lived,  in  addition  to  the  cash  payment  at  the  treaty.  Alto- 
gether, therefore,  he  received  about  $10.000  for  his  share  in  this  trans- 
action. Doubtless  Thomas  Morris  felt  that  Complanter's  services 
were  worth  the  price,  for  it  was  Cornplanter  who  conducted  the 
negotiations  for  the  Indians  after  the  council  fire  had  been  rekindled. 
Of  course  he  was  not  the  only  one  who  was  paid.  Young  King,  the 
"bearer  of  the  smoking  brand,"  received  an  annuity  of  $100,  or  a  total 
of  $3.800.  In  later  years,  as  he  thought  of  the  power  he  could  have 
wielded  at  the  treaty,  it  is  probable  that  he  marvelled  at  his  own  mod- 
eration. Little  Billy  was  another  who  sold  himself.  His  price  was 
the  same  as  Young  King's— $100  a  year — and  as  Little  Billy  lived  till 
1834  he  received  $3,700.  Pollard  received  $50  a  year,  or  $2*200.  Even 
the  haughty  Red  Jacket  consented  to  receive  money  and  drew  $100  a 
year.  And  so  we  might  go  on,  if  it  were  necessary,  with  these  un- 
pleasant details. 

An  interesting  and  unpublished  anecdote  regarding  these  annuities 
is  furnished  by  William  C.  Bryant,  Esq.,  the  scholarly  Indianologist  of 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  89 

Buffalo.  It  seems  that  the  annuities  were  not  always  paid  exactly  on 
time,  and  the  Indians  were  often  worried.  Millard  Fillmore,  subse- 
quently president  of  the  United  States,  said  to  Mr.  Bryant : 

"I  don't  remember  seeing  Cornplanter  but  on  one  occasion.  He 
came  to  my  office  on  Court  street,  soon  after  my  return  from  Wash- 
ington, after  congress  had  adjourned.  He  was  a  bowed,  wrinkled  and 
decrepit  old  man.  He  was  attended  by  two  or  three  younger  Indians. 
He  produced  a  capacious  bag,  similar  in  size  to  an  ordinary  mail  bag, 
and  took  out  a  venerable  treaty,  which  he  explained  to  me.  He  said 
that  soon  after  the  treaty,  was  made  the  annuity  was  promptly  paid — 
first  it  came  when  the  tender  blades  of  the  corn  broke  from  the  mould  ; 
then  it  came  when  the  stalks  were  as  high  as  a  child's  knee ;  next  it 
lingered  till  the  grain  was  full  and  filled  with  milk,  and  now  the 
stalks  are  dry  and  rustling  and  the  Indians  are  very  hungry  for  their 
money." 

Robert  Morris  himself  expected  that  the  Indians  would  have  to 
be  bribed  and  indeed  authorized  this  procedure.  In  his  letter  of 
instructions  he  said  :  "Annuities  of  $20  to  $60  may  be  given  to  influen- 
tial chiefs  to  the  extent  of  $250  or  $300  per  annum."  And  again, 
"Some  dollars  may  be  promised  before  the  treaty  and  paid  when 
finished,  to  the  amount  of  $500  or  $600,  or  if  necessary  $1,000  to  the 
chiefs." 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  warriors  betrayed  their  people  for 
money,  but  they  were  importuned  unceasingly  by  the  avaricious, 
cunning,  and  unscrupulous  whites.  All  sorts  of  plausible  arguments 
and  entreaties  were  made,  and  under  the  spells  of  the  tempters  the 
red  men  fell.  The  Indians  were  wrong,  unquestionably ;  but  how  can 
we  censure  them  severely  ?  Is  there  no  bribery  now-a-days  ?  Do  our 
representatives,  in  pur  boasted  nineteenth-century  civilization,  never 
betray  their  constituents?  Are  not  charges  of  corruption  pending 
even  now  against  men  who  hold  high  offices  of  trust  and  power?  Let 
us,  therefore,  pass  by,  with  what  charity  we  may,  the  fault  committed 
by  the  untutored  children  of  the  forest,  and  condemn  those  who 
tempted  them. 

On  the  part  of  Robert  Morris  and  Thomas  Morris,  his  son,  the 
transaction  was  shameful.  They,  at  least,  could  measure  the  breadth 
and  depth  of  the  iniquity,  and  the  fact  that  they  accomplished  by  the 
corrupt  use  of  money  what  they  could  not  accomplish  by  fair  and 
honorable  dealings  must  not  only  be  admitted,  but  recorded  to  their 
great  discredit. 

Though  most  of  the  Indians  who  gathered  at  Big  Tree  had  partic- 
ipated in  the  inevitable  horrors  of  border  warfare  we  must  judge 
them  with  charity.  Let  us  not  fall  into  the  error  so  common  among 
the  historians  of  America,  of  unduly  praising  the  conduct  of  the 
whites  and  unduly  exaggerating  the  evil  passions  of  the  Indians.  We 
must  bear  in  mind  that  the  whites,  as  well  as  the  Indians,  used  the 
scalping  knife  and  applied  the  torch,  and  that  both  committed  exces- 
ses that  both  lived  to  regret.  Many  of  the  Indians  who  negotiated 
with  Morris  were  men  of  high  character.  They  had  been  brave  in 
war,  and  they  were  eloquent  and  wise  in  council.  They  were  imbued 
with  feelings  of  lofty  patriotism,  and  they  loved  their  homes  and  their 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  90 

families.  The  greeting  of  the  patient  wife  at  the  end  of  a  long  and 
dangerous  journey  was  returned  with  tenderness  and  love,  and  the 
laughter  of  the  romping  children  was  music  in  the  warrior's  ear.  It 
was  the  Great  Spirit  who  gave  to  these  forest  heroes  the  beans  and  the 
corn,  the  gentle  rains  of  spring,  the  smiling  sun  of  summer  and  the 
golden  days  of  harvest ;  and  in  their  leafy  chapels  the  Indians  offered 
up  their  prayers  and  thanked  him  for  his  goodness. 

"Ye  say  they  all  have  passed  away, 

That  noble  race  and  brave, 
That  their  light    canoes  have  vanish'd 

From  off  the  crested  wave  ; 
That  'mid  the  forest  where  they  roam'd 

There  rings  no  hunter's  shout ; 
But  their  name  is  on  your  waters, 

Ye  may  not  wash  it  out. 

"Ye  say  their  cone-like  cabins, 

That  cluster'd  o'er  the  vale, 
Have  fled  away  like  wither'd  leaves 

Before  the  autumn's  gale  ; 
But  their  memory  liveth  on  your  hills 

Their  baptism  on  your  shore  ; 
Your  everlasting  rivers  speak 

Their  dialect  of  yore." 


A   K  E         O  N  T 


North  Boundary 


Of 


MAP  OP  HOLLAND  LAND  COMPANY'S  PRELIMINARY  SURV7EY  1797 


THE  TEXT 

OF  THE  TFEATY 

f*  ONTRACT  entered  intx)  under  the  sanction  of  the  United  States  of 
\        America,  between  Robert  Morris  and  the  Seneka  nation  of  In- 

^^  dians. 

^  This  indenture,  made  the  fifteenth  day  of  September,  in  the  year 
of  our  Lord  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  ninety-seven,  between 
the  sachems,  chiefs  and  warriors  of  the  Seneka  nation  of  Indians,  of 
the  first  part,  and  Robert  Morris,  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  esquire, 
of  the  second  part. 

Whereas,  the  commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  have  granted,  bar- 
gained, and  sold  unto  the  said  Robert  Morris,  his  heirs  and  assigns 
forever,  the  pre-emptive  right,  and  all  other  the  right,  title,  and  inter- 
est, which  the  said  commonwealth  had  to  all  that  tract  of  land  here- 
inafter particularly  mentioned,  being  part  of  a  tract  of  land  lying 
within  the  state  of  New  York,  the  right  of  pjre-emption  of  the  soil 
whereof,  from  the  native  Indians,  was  ceded  and  granted  by  the  said 
state  of  New  York,  to  the  said  commonwealth ;  and  whereas,  at  a 
treaty  held  under  the  authority  of  the  United  States,  with  the  said 
Seneka  nation  of  Indians,  at  Genesee,  in  the  county  of  Ontario,  and 
state  of  New  York,  on  the  day  of  the  date  of  these  presents,  and  on 
sundry  days  immediately  prior  thereto,  by  the  Hon.  Jeremiah  Wads- 
worth,  esquire,  a  commissioner  appointed  by  the  President  of  the 
United  States  to  hold  the  same,  in  pursuance  of  the  constitution,  and 
of  the  act  of  the  congress  of  the  United  States,  in  such  case  made  and 
provided,  it  was  agreed  in  the  presence  and  with  the  approbation  of 
the  said  commissioner,  by  the  sachems,  chiefs  and  warriors  of  the  said 
nation  of  Indians,  for  themselves  and  in  behalf  of  their  nation,  to  sell 
to  the  said  Robert  Morris,  and  to  his  heirs  and  assigns  forever,  all 
their  right  to  all  that  tract  of  land  above  recited,  and  hereinafter  par- 
ticularly specified,  for  the  sum  of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  to  be 
by  the  said  Robert  Morris  vested  in  the  stock  of  the  Bank  of  the  Uni- 
ted States  and  held  in  the  name  of  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
for  the  use  and  behoof  of  the  said  nation  of  Indians,  the  said  agreement 
and  sale  being  also  made  in  the  presence  and  with  the  approbation  of 
the  honorable  Willard  Shepard,  esquire,  the  superintendent  appointed 
for  such  purpose,  in  pursuance  of  a  resolve  of  the  general  court  of  the 
commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,  passed  the  eleventh  day  of  March, 
in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  ninety-one  ; 
now  this  indenture  witnesseth,  that  the  said  parties  of  the  first  part, 
for  and  in  consideration  of  the  premises  above  recited,  and  for  divers 
other  good  and  valuable  considerations  them  thereunto  moving,  have 
granted,  bargained,  sold,  aliened,  released,  enfeoffed  and  confirmed ; 
and  by  the  presents  do  grant,  bargain,  sell,  alien,  release,  enfeoff,  and 
confirm,  unto  the  said  party  of  the  second  part,  his  heirs  and  assigns, 
forever,  all  that  certain  tract  of  land,  except  as  hereinafter  excepted, 
lying  within  the  county  of  Ontario,  and  State  of  New  York,  being  part 
of  a  tract  of  land,  the  right  of  pre-emption  whereof  was  ceded  by  the 
state  of  New  York  to  the  commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,  by  deed  of 
cession  executed  at  Hartford,  on  the  sixteenth  day  of  December,  in  the 
year  of  our  Lord,  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty-six,  being 
•all  such  part  thereof  as  is  not  included  in  the  Indian  purchase  made 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  92 

by  Oliver  Phelps  and  Nathaniel  Gorham,  and  bounded  as  follows,  to 
wit :  easterly,  by  the  land  confirmed  to  Oliver  Phelps  and  Nathaniel 
Gorham  by  the  legislature  of  the  commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,  by 
an  act  passed  the  twenty-first  day  of  November,  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord,  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty-eight ;  southerly,  by 
the  north  boundary  line  of  the  state  of  Pennsylvania  ;  westerly  by  a 
tract  of  land,  part  of  the  land  ceded  by  the  state  of  Massachusetts  to 
the  United  States,  and  by  them  sold  to  Pennsylvania,  being  a  right 
angled  triangle,  whose  hypothenuse  is  in  or  along  the  shore  of  lake 
Erie  ;  partly  by  lake  Erie,  from  the  northern  point  of  that  triangle  to 
the  southern  bounds  of  a  tract  of  land  one  mile  in  width,  lying  on  and 
along  the  east  side  of  the  strait  of  Niagara,  and  partly  by  the  said 
tract  to  lake  Ontario ;  and  on  the  north  by  the  boundary  line  between 
the  United  States  and  the  King  of  Great  Britain  ;  excepting  neverthe- 
less, and  always  reserving  out  of  this  grant  and  conveyance,  all  such 
pieces  or  parcels  of  the  aforesaid  tract,  and  such  privileges  thereunto 
belonging,  as  are  next  hereinafter  particularly  mentioned,  which  said 
pieces  or  parcels  of  land  so  excepted,  are,  by  the  parties  to  these  pres- 
ents, clearly  and  fully  understood  to  remain  the  property  of  the  said 
parties  of  the  first  part,  in  as  full  and  ample  manner  as  if  these  pres- 
ents had  not  been  executed  :  that  is  to  say,  excepting  and  reserving  to 
them,  the  said  parties  of  the  first  part,  and  their  nation,  one  piece  or 
parcel  of  the  aforesaid  tract,  at  Canawagus,  of  two  square  miles,  to 
be  laid  out  in  such  manner  as  to  include  the  village,  extending  in 
breadth  one  mile  along  the  river  ;  one  other  piece  or  parcel  at  Big  Tree 
of  two  square  miles,  to  be  laid  out  in  such  manner  as  to  include  the 
village,  extending  in  breadth  along  the  river  one  mile  ;  one  other  piece 
or  parcel  of  two  square  miles  at  Little  Beard's  town,  extending  one 
mile  along  the  river,  to  be  laid  off  in  such  manner  as  to  include  the 
village  :  one  other  tract  of  two  square  miles  at  Squawky  Hill,  to  be 
laid  off  as  follows,  to  wit :  one  square  mile  to  be  laid  off  along  the 
river,  in  such  manner  as  to  include  the  village,  the  other  directly  west 
thereof  and  continuous  thereto ;  one  other  piece  or  parcel  at  Gardeau, 
beginning  at  the  mouth  of  Steep  Hill  creek,  thence  due  east,  until  it 
strikes  the  old  path,  thence  south  until  a  due  west  line  will  intersect 
with  certain  steep  rocks  on  the  west  side  of  the  Genesee  river,  then 
extending  due  west,  due  north,  and  due  east,  until  it  strikes  the  first 
mentioned  bound,  enclosing  as  much  land  on  the  west  side  as  on  the 
east  side  of  the  river.  One  other  piece  or  parcel  at  Kaounadeau,  ex- 
tending in  length  eight  miles  along  the  river  and  two  miles  in  breadth. 
One  other  piece  or  parcel  at  Cataraxigos,  beginning  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Eighteen  mile  or  Koghquaugu  creek,  thence  a  line  or  lines  to  be 
drawn  parallel  to  lake  Erie,  at  the  distance  of  one  mile  from  the  lake, 
to  the  mouth  of  Cataraugos  creek,  thence  a  line  or  lines  extending 
twelve  miles  up  the  north  side  of  said  creek  at  the  distance  of  one  mile 
therefrom,  thence  a  direct  line  to  the  said  creek,  thence  down  the  said 
creek  to  lake  Erie,  thence  along  the  lake  to  the  first  mentioned  creek, 
and  thence  to  the  place  of  beginning.  Also,  one  other  piece  at  Catarau- 
gos, beginning  at  the  shore  of  lake  Erie,  on  the  south  side  of  Cataraugos 
creek,  at  the  distance  of  one  mile  from  the  mouth  thereof,  thence 
running  one  mile  from  the  lake,  thence  on  a  line  parallel  thereto  to  a 
point  within  one  mile  from  the  Connondauweyea  creek,  thence  up  the 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  93 

said  creek  one  mile,  on  a  line  parallel  thereto,  thence  on  a  direct  line  to 
the  said  creek  thence  down  the  same  to  lake  Erie,  thence  along  the  lake 
to  the  place  of  beginning.  Also  one  other  piece  or  parcel  of  forty-two 
square  miles  at  or  near  the  Allegenny  river.  Also,  two  hundred  square 
miles,  to  be  laid  off  partly  at  the  Buffalo  and  partly  at  the  Tannawanta 
creeks.  Also  excepting  and  reserving  to  them,  the  said  parties  of  the 
first  part  and  their  heirs,  the  privilege  of  fishing  and  hunting  on  the  said 
tract  of  land  hereby  intended  to  be  conveyed.  And  it  is  hereby  under- 
stood by  and  between  the  parties  to  these  presents,  that  all  such  pieces 
or  parcels  of  land  as  are  hereby  reserved,  and  are  not  particularly 
described  as  to  the  manner  in  which  the  same  are  to  be  laid  off,  shall 
be  laid  off  in  such  manner  as  shall  be  determined  by  the  sachems  and 
chiefs  residing  at  or  near  the  respective  villages  where  such  reserva- 
tions are  made,  a  particular  note  whereof  to  be  endorsed  on  the  back 
of  this  deed,  and  recorded  therewith,  together  with  all  and  singular 
the  rights,  privileges,  hereditaments,  and  appurtenances  thereunto 
belonging,  or  in  anywise  appertaining.  And  all  the  estate,  right,  title, 
and  interest,  whatsoever  of  them  the  said  parties  of  the  first  part  and 
their  nation,  of,  in,  and  to  the  said  tract  of  land  above  described, 
except  as  is  above  excepted,  to  have  and  to  hold  all  and  singular  the 
said  granted  premises,  with  the  appurtenances,  to  the  said  party  of  the 
second  part,  his  heirs  and  assigns,  to  his  and  their  proper  use,  benefit, 
and  behoof  forever. 

In  witness  whereof,  the  parties  to  these  presents  have  hereunto  inter- 
changeably set  their  hands  and  seals,  the  day  and  year  first  above 
written. 

Robert  Morris,  by  his  attorney,  Thomas  Morris,  (L.  S.) 

Koyengquahtah,  alias  Young  King,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Soonookshewan,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Konutaico,  alias  Handsome  Lake,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Sattakanguyase,  alias  Two  Skies  of  a  Length,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Onayawos,  or  Farmer's  Brother,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Soogooyawautau,  alias  Red  Jacket,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Gishkaka,  alias  Little  Billy,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Kaoundoowana,  alias  Pollard,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Ouneshataikau,  or  Tall  Chief,  by  his  agent  Stevenson,  his  X  mark, 

Onnonggaihko,  alias  Infant,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.)  (L.  S.) 

Teahdowaingqua,  alias  Thomas  Jemison,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S. 

Tekonnondee,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Oneghtaugooau,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Connawaudeau,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Taosstaiefi,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Kooentwahka,  or  Cornplanter,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Oosaukaunendauki,  alias  To  Destroy  a  Town,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Sooeoowa,  alias  Parrot  Nose,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Toonahookahwa,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Howwennounew,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Kounahtaetoue,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S. 

Taouyaukauna,  his  X  mark.  (L.  S.) 

Woudougoohkta,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

.Sonauhquaukau,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  94 

Twaunauiyana,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 
Takaunoudea,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Shequinedaughque,  or  Little  Beard,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Jowaa,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Saunajie,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Tauoiyuquatakausea.  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Taoundaudish,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Tooauquinda,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Ahtaou,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Taukooshoondakoo,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Kauneskanggo,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Soonanjnwan,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Tonowauiya,  or  Capt.  Bullet,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Jaahkaaeyas,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Taughihshauta,  his  X  mark  (L.  S.) 

Sukkenjoonau,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Ahquatieya,  or  Hot  Bread,  his  X  mark  (L.  S.) 

Suggonundan,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Taunowaintooh,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Konnonjoowauna,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Soogooeyandestak,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Hautwanauekkau,  by  Young  King,  his  X  mark  (L.  S.) 

Sauwejuwan,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Kaunoohshauwen,  his X  mark.  (L.  S.) 

Taukonondaugekta,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Kaouyanoughque,  or  John  Jemison,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Hoiegush,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 

Taknaahquan,  hisX  mark,  (L.  S.) 
Sealed  and  delivered  in  presence  of 

Nat,  W.  Ho  well,  James  Rees, 

Joseph  Ellicott,  Henry  Aaron  Hills, 

Israel  Chapin,  Henry  Abeel. 

Jasper  Parrish,      )  Tntprmvtprs 

Horatio  Jones,       f ln1  'rs' 

Done  at  a  full  and  general  treaty  of  the  Seneka  nation  of  Indians,  held 

at  Grenesee  in  the  county  of  Ontario,  and  State  of  New  York,   on 

the  fifteenth  day  of  September,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord,  one  thous- 
and seven  hundred  and  ninety-seven,  under  the  authority  of  the 

United  States. 
In  testimony  whereof.  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  seal,  the  day 

and  year  aforesaid.  JERE.  WADSWORTH,  (L.s.) 

Pursuant  to  a  resolution  of  the  legislature  of  the  Commonwealth 
of  Massachusetts,  passed  the  eleventh  day  of  March,  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  ninety-one,  I  have  attended  a 
full  and  general  treaty  of  the  Seneka  nation  of  Indians,  at  Genesee, 
in  the  county  of  Ontario,  when  the  within  instrument  was  duly  execu- 
ted in  my  presence  by  the  sachems,  chiefs  and  warriors  of  the  said 
nation,  being  fairly  and  properly  understood  and  transacted  by  all  the 
parties  of  Indians  concerned,  and  declared  to  be  done  to  their  universal 
satisfaction  :  I  therefore  certify  and  approve  of  the  same. 

Subscribed  in  presence  of  WILLIAM  SHEPARD. 

NAT.  W.  HOWELL. 


MORRIS  TO 
WASHINGTON 

OBERT  MORRIS  secured  from  Massachusetts  in  1791  the  right 
t°  buy  t*16  lands  from  the  Indians ;  but  it  was  not  till  1796  that 
^e  was  ready  to  open  negotiations.  Then  he  wrote  the  follow- 
ing  letter  to  Washington  : 

[For  this  letter,  see  page  77.] 

Commissioners  having  been  appointed  and  other  preparations  for 
the  treaty  having  been  made,  Robert  Morris  addressed  the  following 
letter  to  his  son  Thomas,  and  his  friend,  Charles  Williamson,  who 
were  to  carry  on  the  negotiations  with  the  Indians.  This  document  is 
among  the  O'Reilly  papers  in  the  collection  of  the  New  York  Histori- 
cal society.  This  is  the  first  time  that  it  has  ever  been  published.  All 
who  are  interested  in  the  history  of  Western  New  York  will  read  it 
with  much  interest : 

MORRIS'S  INSTRUCTIONS. 

Philadelphia,  August  1,  1797. 
Thomas  Morris  and  Charles  Williamson,  Esqrs.  : 

Gentlemen — I  send  herewith  my  power  of  attorney  constituting 
you  my  attorneys,  and  as  such  authorizing  you  to  hold  a  treaty  with 
the  Seneca  nation  of  Indians  and  such  other  nations,  tribes,  or  chiefs 
as  may  be  necessary  and  to  purchase  of  them  for  my  account  all  that 
tract  of  country  the  pre-emptive  right  of  which  I  bought  of  the  state 
of  Massachusetts,  being  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  Genesee  river  and 
certain  boundary  lines  of  Grorham  and  Phelps's  Purchase,  on  the  south 
by  the  north  boundary  line  of  the  state  of  Pennsylvania,  on  the  west 
by  Lake  Erie  and  certain  boundary  lines  of  the  Pennsylvania  Triangle 
and  of  a  small  tract  or  carrying  place  reserved  to  the  state  of  New 
York  near  the  river  Niagara,  and  on  the  north  by  Lake  Ontario. 

This  tract  of  land  you  are  too  well  acquainted  with  to  render  any 
other  description  necessary,  and  its  importance  to  me  you  can  properly 
estimate,  although  I  have  not  that  interest  in  it  at  present  which  I 
ought  to  have  retained  ;  nevertheless  there  is  a  duty  due  from  me  to 
those  to  whom  I  have  sold  which  I  am  as  solicitous  to  perform  as  if 
the  whole  benefit  was  for  myself;  but,  although  I  am  not  to  reap  all  the 
benefit,  I  am  to  sustain  all  the  expense.  This  circumstance  does  not  in- 
duce a  desire  to  starve  the  cause  or  to  be  niggardly ;  at  the  same  time 
it  is  natural  to  desire  a  consistent  economy  to  be  observed  both  as  to  the 
expense  of  the  treaty  and  the  price  to  be  paid  for  the  lands.  In  order 
to  be  as  clear  and  distinct  as  possible  I  put  each  article  of  these  in- 
structions numerically  as  they  occur  to  me. 

First — I  send  herewith  a  written  speech  with  which  I  propose  that 
my  son  shall  open  the  treaty  by  delivering  the  same  to  the  Indians  in 
my  name  and  in  my  behalf. 

Second — In  addition  to  this  speech,  you  can  each  make  such  addi- 
tional introductory  speeches  as  you  may  think  proper  and  necessary. 

Third— The  business  of  the  treaty  may  be  greatly  propelled  prob- 
ably by  withholding  liquor  from  Indians  until  the  business  is  finished, 
showing  and  promising  it  to  them  when  the  treaty  is  over. 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  96 

Fourth — I  propose  that  an  annuity  of  four  thousand  or  four  thous- 
and five  hundred  dollars  forever  shall  be  the  price  of  purchase  for  the 
whole  tract  of  country  to  the  pre-emption  of  which  I  have  the  right. 

Fifth — If  they  should  want  some  money  down,  say  5,000  to  10,000 
dollars,  the  annuity  to  decrease  proportionately. 

Sixth — Annuities  of  20  to  60  dollars  per  annum  may  be  given  to 
influential  chiefs  to  the  extent  of  250  or  300  dollars  per  annum. 

Seventh — Some  dollars  may  be  promised  before  the  treaty  and 
paid  when  finished  to  the  amount  of  500  or  600  dollars,  or  if  necessary 
1,000  dollars,  to  the  chiefs. 

Eighth — Captain  Brant,  although  not  belonging  to  the  Seneca 
nation,  yet  being  an  influential  character,  he  must  be  satisfied  for  his 
services  on  as  reasonable  terms  as  possible,  after  the  purchase  is  made. 

Ninth — Jones  and  Smith  as  interpreters  are  to  do  their  duty  fully 
and  faithfully  or  I  will  not  convey  the  lands  contracted  for  with  them, 
but  if  they  do  their  duty  the  deed  of  those  lands  shall  be  delivered 
upon  receipt  of  the  money  they  are  in  that  case  to  pay. 

Tenth — Mr.  Johnston  of  Niagara  is  to  be  employed  as  an  interpre- 
ter and  compensated  with  a  reasonable  liberality. 

Eleventh — Mr.  Dean  and  Mr.  Parish  may  also  be  employed  on 
similar  terms. 

Twelfth — Mr.  Chapin  will  render  any  services  that  consist  with 
the  duties  of  his  station,  and  must  have  a  proper  compliment  or  com- 
pensation. 

Thirteenth — If  there  be  others  whom  I  omit  or  do  not  know  whom 
it  may  be  proper  to  employ,  you  will  exercise  your  discretion  in  regard 
to  them. 

Fourteenth — The  whole  cost  and  charges  of  this  treaty  being  at 
my  expense,  you  will  direct  everything  upon  the  principles  of  a  liberal 
economy.  The  Indians  must  have  plenty  of  food,  and  also  of  liquor 
when  you  see  proper  to  order  it  to  them.  The  commissioners,  their 
secretaries,  interpreters,  and  all  who  are  officially  employed  at  or 
about  this  treaty,  must  be  provided  at  my  cost.  You  will  of  course 
keep  a  table  for  yourselves  and  such  of  them  as  ought  to  be  admitted 
to  it.  Such  gentlemen  strangers  as  visit  there  with  friendly  intentions, 
or  from  curiosity,  you  will  of  course  entertain  as  often  as  you  think 
proper. 

Fifteenth — The  liquors  and  stores  I  sent  up  will  be  used  and  if  not 
sufficient  more  must  be  got. 

Sixteenth — The  articles  sent  up  for  presents  to  the  Indian  chiefs, 
their  wives  and  children,  you  will  distribute  as  you  see  proper,  and 
you  may  tell  them  I  did  not  send  any  goods  for  presents  to  the  nation 
because  I  thought  they  could  with  the  money  they  will  receive  half- 
yearly  buy  what  may  suit  them  best. 

Seventeenth — If  you  think  twenty  to  thirty  cows  given  to  the 
women  would  have  a  good  effect,  this  might  be  done  in  such  way  as  to 
please  them  best. 

Eighteenth — The  price  or  annuity  offered  for  the  whole  tract  of 
country  if  they  do  not  incline  to  give  up  the  whole  may  be  put  upon 
this  footing,  that  the  whole  sum  shall  now  be  placed  in  the  bank,  and 
if  they  deliver  me  possession  of  only  one-half  the  lands  they  shall  draw- 
only  one-half  the  annuity  and  I  will  draw  the  other  half,  and  so  in 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  97 

proportion  to  what  they  give  tip,  and  at  any  time  thereafter  \vhen  they 
agree  to  give  up  more  land  they  shall  then  draw  more  of  the  annuity 
in  proportion,  and  when  they  surrender  the  whole  of  the  land,  they 
shall  draw  the  whole  of  the  annuity. 

Nineteenth — They  may  signify  at  any  time  their  intention  of 
making  a  further  surrender  of  lands  (beyond  what  now  may  be  agreed 
for)  to  the  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs,  and  I  or  my  successors 
will  immediately  appoint  proper  persons  to  receive  and  survey  the 
lands  and  assign  to  them  or  their  agents  the  securities  for  the  propor- 
tion of  the  annuity  equivalent  to  the  lands  so  surrendered. 

Twentieth — It  will  be  most  agreeable  if  they  will  deliver  the 
whole  lands  now,  and  receive  the  whole  of  the  annuity,  but  if  they 
should  only  consent  to  deliver  a  part,  let  that  part  be  as  large  a  pro- 
portion as  you  can  possibly  obtain ;  and  in  this  case  it  may  be  best 
perhaps  to  ask  for  it  in  the  following  manner  : miles  on  the  Penn- 
sylvania line  beginning  at  the  point  on  that  line  which  bounds  Gorham 
and  Phelps  Purchase,  and  running  west miles,  and  from  the  ter- 
minating point  on  the  Pennsylvania  line  to  run  due  north  to  Lake 
Ontario,  then  east  along  the  borders  of  said  lake  to  the  point  of  divis- 
ion on  the  north  boundary  of  Gorham  and  Phelps's  Purchase,  and 
thence  south  along  the  west  boundary  lines  of  said  Gorham  and 
Phelps's  Purchase  and  the  Genesee  river  to  the  place  of  beginning : 
and  in  addition  to  this  another  quantity  either  on  the  northern  or 
southern  side  of  the  tract  as  may  be  most  palatable  to  the  Indians.  If 
on  the  southern  side  it  will  commence  at  the  western  point  on  the 
Pennsylvania  line  where  the  above  tract  stopped  and  run  as  far  on  the 
Pennsylvania  line  as  they  will  agree,  and  also  to  go  as  far  north  on  the 
west  side  of  the  above  tract  as  they  will  agree,  thence  due  west  until  a 
south  line  will  strike  the  point  where  they  stop  on  the  Pennsylvania 
line  unless  they  agree  to  go  all  the  length  of  it  to  the  corner  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Triangle,  and  in  that  case  the  other  line  will  run  west  to 
Lake  Erie,  or  the  boundary  of  that  Triangle,  which  boundary  would 
in  that  case  also  be  the  west  boundary  of  the  tract  I  contemplate. 
Should  they  prefer  to  cede  a  tract  bounded  by  Lake  Ontario,  the  efast, 
south,  and  west  boundaries  will  be  fixed  in  a  similar  manner  to  what 
I  have  proposed  for  the  others. 

Twenty-first — If  the  Indians  will  not  sell  and  deliver  the  whole 
tract  you  must  stipulate  and  obtain  liberty  for  the  surveyor  to  traverse 
the  borders  of  Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario  and  measure  all  the  boundary 
lines  of  the  whole  tract. 

Twenty-second — William  Bayard  will  attend  the  treaty  on  behalf 
of  the  Holland  company  to  whom  I  have  sold  a  great  part  of  these 
lands  and  perhaps  Mr.  Linklaen  and  Garrit  Boon  may  also  be  there. 
I  would  wish  you  to  communicate  freely  and  confidentially  with  these 
gentlemen  or  such  of  them  as  do  attend,  and  particularly  as  to  what 
part  of  the  tract  shall  be  taken  into  the  purchase  (in  case  the  whole  is 
not  bought)  after  Track  No.  1  is  secured. 

This  Tract  No.  1  is  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  Genesee  river  and 
the  boundary  lines  of  Gorham  and  Phelps's  Purchase,  on  the  south  by 
the  Pennsylvania  north  botindary  line  running  twelve  miles  west  on 
that  line,  thence  on  the  west  by  a  line  to  be  run  from  the  point  of 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  98 

twelve  miles  due  north  to  Lake  Ontario,  and  thence  bounded  on  the 
north  by  Lake  Ontario  to  the  north  point  of  said  Gorham  and  Phelps's 
Purchase.  This  tract  must  be  included  in  the  purchase  at  all  events 
and  the  rest  may  be  made  agreeable  to  the  Holland  company  and  the 
Indians,  but  I  hope  and  expect  that  the  whole  will  be  purchased. 

Twenty -third — In  case  the  whole  of  the  tract  is  agreed  for,  but 
the  Indians  choose  to  retain  some  part  for  their  occupation,  they  will 
choose,  I  presume,  Buffalo  Creek,  Tanewanta,  and  lands  bordering  on 
Lake  Erie.  In  fixing  this  you  will  consult  as  much  as  can  be  the  inter- 
ests and  inclinations  of  the  Holland  company,  conjointly  with  the 
pleasure  of  the  Indians. 

Twenty-fourth — Although  I  have  proposed  an  annuity  to  the  In- 
dians as  the  price  of  their  lands,  yet  if  they  prefer  to  be  paid  in  money, 
I  do  not  object.  In  that  case  I  suppose  seventy-five  thousand  dollars 
may  be  set  down  as  the  price  of  the  whole,  and  in  proportion  for  any 
part  less  than  the  whole,  the  money  to  be  paid  to  them  or  their  agent 
or  agents  within  sixty  to  ninety  days  either  at  Philadelphia,  New 
York,  or  Canandaigua,  as  may  be  agreed  on  between  you  and  them, 
consulting  Mr.  Bayard  as  to  the  time  and  place  of  payment. 

Should  any  other  matter  occur  that  I  shall  think  necessary  to  be 
intimated  to  you,  I  shall,  if  there  be  time,  write  to  you  again  as  often 
as  may  appear  useful.  You  are,  however,  to  consider  what  I  have 
already  writen  rather  as  outlines  for  your  conduct  on  this  business 
than  as  positive  orders  not  to  be  departed  from.  I  have  perfect  con- 
fidence in  your  friendship  and  also  in  your  integrity  and  discretion  and 
therefore  I  confide  to  your  management  the  whole  of  this  bxisiness 
without  limitation  or  restriction  except  that  if  you  make  a  purchase 
the  Tract  No.  1  must  be  a  part  of  it.  If  you  can  make  the  purchase 
on  better  terms  than  I  have  proposed  I  am  sure  you  will  do  it,  and  on 
the  contrary  should  you  be  obliged  to  give  more  I  shall  acquiesce. 
You  know  it  is  high  time  this  purchase  should  be  made  and  it  is  of 
vast  importance  to  all  concerned  to  have  it  accomplished  ;  therefore 
you  must  effect  it  at  all  events,  and  I  can  only  repeat  that  although  I 
wish  to  buy  as  reasonably  as  may  be,  yet  I  do  not  mean  to  starve  the 
cause,  for  I  must  have  it. 

With  sincere  regard  and  affection,  I  am,  gentlemen,  your  friend 
and  servant, 

Robert  Morris. 

Thomas  Morris  and  Charles  Williamson,  Esqrs.,  Ontario  County, 
State  of  New  York. 


Mr.  Morris  could  not  be  present  at  the  treaty  himself,  but  he  sen* 
in  manuscript  a  speech  to  the  Senecas  which  he  directed  should  be  read 
to  them.  This  was  as  follows  : 

Brothers  of  the  Seneca  Nation — It  was  my  wish  and  my  intention 
to  have  come  into  your  country  and  to  have  met  you  at  this  treaty,  but 
the  Great  Spirit  has  ordained  otherwise  and  I  cannot  go.  I  grow  old 
and  corpulent,  and  not  very  well,  and  am  fearful  of  traveling  so  far 
during  the  hot  weather  in  the  month  of  August. 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  99 

Brothers,  as  I  cannot  be  with  you  at  the  treaty,  I  have  deputed 
and  appointed  my  son  Thomas  Morris,  Esq.,  and  my  friend  Charles 
Williamson,  Esq.,  to  appear  for  me  and  on  my  behalf  to  speak  and 
treat  with  you  in  the  same  manner  and  to  the  same  effect  as  I  might  or 
could  do  were  I  present  at  this  treaty  with  you,  and  it  is  my  request 
that  you  will  listen  to  them  with  the  same  attention  that  you  would  to 
me. 

Brothers,  I  have  the  greatest  love  and  esteem  for  my  son  and  my 
friend.  They  possess  my  entire  confidence  and  whatever  they  engage 
for  on  my  behalf  you  may  depend  that  I  will  perform  the  same  as 
exactly  as  if  I  was  there  and  made  the  engagements  with  you  myself  ; 
therefore  I  pray  you  to  listen  to  them  and  believe  in  what  they  say. 

Brothers,  it  is  now  six  years  since  I  have  been  invested  with  the 
exclusive  right  to  acquire  your  lands.  During  the  whole  of  this  time 
you  have  quietly  possessed  them  without  being  importuned  by  me  to 
sell  them,  but  I  now  think  that  it  is  time  for  them  to  be  productive  to 
you.  It  is  with  a  view  to  render  them  so  that  I  have  acquiesced  in 
your  desire  to  meet  you  at  the  Genesee  river.  I  shall  take  care  imme- 
diately to  deposit  in  the  bank  of  the  United  States  whatever  my  son 
and  my  friend  may  agree  to  pay  you  in  my  behalf. 

Brothers,  from  the  personal  acquaintance  which  I  have  with  your 
chiefs  and  head  men,  I  am  assured  that  their  wisdom  and  integrity  will 
direct  the  object  of  the  treaty  to  the  happiness  of  yourselves  and  your 
posterity.  It  is  a  pleasing  circumstance  to  me  that  my  business  is  to 
be  transacted  with  such  men,  because  while  on  the  one  hand  they  will 
take  care  of  your  interests,  on  the  other  whatever  is  done  between  them 
and  me  will  be  strong  and  binding.  I  hope  that  wise  men  will  always 
be  at  the  head  of  your  councils,  but  for  fear  that  those  that  succeed 
your  present  leading  men  should  not  deserve  and  possess  your  confi- 
dence as  fully  as  these  do,  you  had  better  have  your  business  so  fixed 
now  as  not  to  leave  it  in  the  power  of  wrong-headed  men  in  future  to 
waste  the  property  given  to  you  by  the  Great  Spirit  for  the  use  of 
yourselves  and  your  posterity. 

Brothers,  I  have  now  opened  my  mind  to  you,  and  as  I  depend  on 
my  son  and  my  friend  to  carry  on  and  conclude  the  business  with  you 
I  shall  only  add  that  the  President  of  the  United  States,  approving  of 
this  treaty  and  being  your  father  and  friend,  has  appointed  an  honor- 
able and  worthy  gentleman,  formerly  a  member  of  congress,  the  Hon. 
Jeremiah  Wadsworth,  Esq.,  to  be  a  commissioner  on  behalf  of  the 
United  States  to  attend  and  superintend  this  treaty,  and  the  governor 
of  the  state  of  Massachusetts  also  appointed  an  honorable  and  worthy 
gentleman,  formerly  a  general  in  the  American  army  and  now  a  mem- 
ber of  congress,  the  Hon.  William  Shepherd,  Esq.,  to  be  a  commis- 
sioner to  attend  this  treaty  on  behalf  of  the  state  of  Massachusetts. 
These  gentlemen  will  attend  to  what  is  said  and  done  on  both  sides  in 
order  to  see  that  mutual  fair  dealings  and  justice  shall  take  place. 
Their  office  and  duty  will  be  rendered  agreeable  so  far  as  depends  on 
me  because  I  desire  nothing  biit  fair,  open  and  honest  transactions. 

Brothers,  I  bid  you  farewell.  May  the  Great  Spirit  ever  befriend 
and  protect  you. 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  100 

I /"NOW  all  Men  by  these  Presents  that  we  the  Chief  Warriors  and 
\j\  Chief  Sachems  of  the  Seneca  Nation  for  and  in  consideration  of 
*  \  the  sum  of  one  dollar  to  us  in  hand  paid  by  Mary  Jemoson  the 
^  receipt  whereof  we  do  hereby  acknowledge  and  are  fully  satisfied 
and  contented  and  paid,  have  given,  granted,  bargained,  aliened,  releas- 
ed, conveyed  and  confirmed  unto  her  the  said  Mary  Jemoson  her  heirs 
and  assigns  forever  one  certain  parcel  or  tract  of  land  being  and  lying 
on  the  Q-enesee  River  beginning  at  the  mouth  of  the  steep  hill  creek 
and  running  a  due  east  line  till  it  strikes  the  old  path  ;  thence  south  till 
a  due  west  line  will  intersect  with  certain  steep  rocks  on  the  west  side 
Genesee  River,  then  extending  due  west,  due  north,  and  due  east,  till 
it  strikes  the  first  mentioned  bounds  inclosing  as  much  land  upon  the 
west  side  of  the  river  as  it  does  on  the  east  side  of  said  river.  To 
have  and  to  hold  the  above  granted  and  bargained  premises  with  all 
the  appurtenances  and  privileges  thereunto  belonging  to  her  the  said 
Mary  Jemoson  her  heirs  and  assigns  forever  and  furthermore,  we  the 
said  Chief  Sachems  and  Warriors  for  ourselves,  our  heirs,  executors 
and  administrators  do  by  these  presents  covenant,  engage  and  promise 
to  defend  the  above  granted  premises  with  all  the  appurtenances  unto 
her  the  said  Mary  Jemoson  her  heirs  and  assigns  forever  will  Warrant 
and  Defend  the  above  granted  premises  against  all  the  claims  and 
demands  of  all  persons  whatsoever  in  confirmation  whereof,  we  have 
hereunto  set  our  hands  and  seals  this  in  the  year  of  our  Lord 

one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  ninety-seven. 

his 

Farmers    x    Brother 
mark 

his 

Little    x    Billy 
mark 

his 

Pollard    x 
mark 

his 

Hanow    x    Shawen 
mark 

his 

Kayyea    x    Neghque 
mark 
his 

Tommy    x    Jimmisson 
mark 

his 

Corn    x    Planter 
mark 
his 

Howana    x    Zee 
mark 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  101 

Signed,  sealed  and  delivered  in  presence  of  Horatio  Jones,  William 
Johnston,  C.  Winny,  Chas.  Williamson,  Thomas  Morris. 

Be  it  remembered  that  on  the  thirtieth  day  of  October  in  the  year 
one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  ninety-eight  personally  came  before 
me,  Moses  Atwater,  one  of  the  judges  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas 
for  the  County  of  Ontario,  Thomas  Morris,  who  being  duly  sworn 
declared  he  saw  the  grantors  of  the  within  instrument  affix  their  sig- 
natures to  the  same  as  an  execution  thereof.  And  that  he  the  deponent 
with  Charles  Williamson  in  the  presence  of  each  other  subscribed  their 
names  as  witnesses  to  the  same,  I  being  personally  acquainted  with 
Thomas  Morris  and  upon  inspection  of  the  said  instrument  finding  no 
material  erasures  or  interlineations  do  allow  the  same  to  be  recorded. 

Moses  Atwater. 

I  certify  the  foregoing  to  be  a  true  copy  of  the  original  instrument 
examined  compared  and  recorded  this  thirtieth  day  of  October  A.  D., 
1798. 

G.  B.  Porter,  Clk. 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  102 

SENEKAS 

Concluded  September  3,  1823. 

f\  T  a  treaty  held  under  the  authority  of  the  United  States  at  Mos- 
^4  cow,  in  the  county  of  Livingston,  in  the  State  of  New  York, 
f  »  between  the  sachems,  chiefs  and  warriors  of  the  Seneka  nation 
*  of  Indians  in  behalf  of  said  nation,  and  John  Greig  and  Henry 
B.  Q-ibson  of  Canandaigua  in  the  county  of  Ontario  ;  in  the  presence 
of  Charles  Carroll,  esquire,  commissioner  appointed  by  the  United 
States  for  holding  said  treaty,  and  of  Nathaniel  Gorman,  esquire,  sup- 
erintendent, in  behalf  of  the  State  of  Massachusetts. 

Know  all  men  by  these  presents,  that  the  said  sachems,  chiefs  and 
warriors,  for  and  in  consideration  of  the  sum  of  four  thousand  two 
hundred  and  eighty-six  dollars,  lawful  money  of  the  United  States,  to 
them  in  hand  paid  by  the  said  John  Greig  and  Henry  B.  Gibson,  at  or 
immediately  before  the  ensealing  and  delivery  of  these  presents,  the 
receipt  whereof  is  hereby  acknowledged,  have  granted,  bargained,  sold, 
aliened,  released,  quit  claimed,  and  confirmed  unto  the  said  John 
Greig  and  Henry  B.  Gibson,  and  by  these  presents  do  grant,  bargain, 
sell,  alien,  release,  quit,  claim,  and  confirm,  unto  the  said  John  Greig 
and  Henry  B.  Gibson,  their  heirs  and  assigns  forever,  all  that  tract, 
piece  or  parcel  of  land  commonly  called  and  known  by  the  name 
of  the  Gardeau  reservation,  situate,  lying  and  being  in  the  counties  of 
Livingston  and  Genesee,  in  the  State  of  New  York,  bounded  as  follows, 
that  is  to  say  :  Beginning  at  the  mouth  of  Steep  Hill  creek,  thence 
due  east,  until  it  strikes  the  Old  Path,  thence  south  until  a  due  west 
line  will  intersect  with  certain  steep  rocks  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Genesee  river,  thence  extending  due  west,  due  north,  and  due  east, 
until  it  strikes  the  first  mentioned  bound,  enclosing  as  much  land  on 
the  west  side  as  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  and  containing  according 
to  the  survey  and  measurement  made  of  the  same  by  Augustus  Porter, 
surveyor,  seventeen  thousand  nine  hundred  and  twenty-seven  137-160 
acres,  be  the  same  more  or  less,  excepting  nevertheless,  and  always 
reserving  out  of  this  grant  and  conveyance  twelve  hundred  and  eighty 
acres  of  land,  bounded  as  follows,  that  is  to  say  :  on  the  east  by  Gen- 
esee river,  on  the  south  by  a  line  running  due  west  from  the  center  of 
the  Big  Slide  so  called,  on  the  north  by  a  line  parallel  to  the  south  line 
and  two  miles  distant  therefrom,  and  on  the  west  by  a  line  running 
due  north  and  south,  and  at  such  a  distance  from  the  river  as  to 
include  the  said  quantity  of  twelve  hundred  and  eighty  acres  and  no 
more ;  which  said  twelve  hundred  and  eighty  acres  are  fully  and 
clearly  understood,  to  remain  the  property  of  the  said  parties  of  the 
first  part,  and  their  nation,  in  as  full  and  ample  a  manner,  as  if  these 
presents  had  not  been  executed ;  together  with  all  and  singular  the 
rights,  privileges,  hereditaments,  and  appurtenances,  to  the  said  hereby 
granted  premises  belonging  or  in  any  wise  appertaining,  and  all  the 
estate,  right,  title  and  interest,  whatsoever  of  them  the  said  parties  of 
the  first  part,  and  of  their  nation,  of,  in,  and  to  the  said  tract  of  land 
above  described,  except  as  is  above  excepted.  To  have  and  to  hold  all 
and  singular  the  above  granted  premises  with  the  appurtenances,  unto 
the  said  John  Greig  and  Henry  B.  Gibson,  their  heirs  and  assigns,  to 
the  sole  and  only  proper  use,  benefit,  and  behoof,  of  the  said  John 
Greig  and  Henry  B.  Gibson,  their  heirs  and  assigns  forever. 


I  = 

t»      55 


Treaty  of  Big  Tree  103 

In  testimony  whereof,  the  parties  to  these  presents  have  hereunto, 
and  to  three  other  instruments  of  the  same  tenor  and  date,  one 
to  remain  with  the  United  States,  one  to  remain  with  the  State  of 
Massachusetts,  one  to  remain  with  the  Seneka  nation  of  Indians, 
and  one  to  remain  with  the  said  John  Greig  and  Henry  B.  Q-ibson, 
interchangeably  set  their  hands  and  seals  the  third  day  of  Septem- 
ber, in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
twenty- three. 

Saquiungarluchta,  or  Young  King,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 
Karlundawana,  or  Pollard,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 
Sagouata,  or  Red  Jacket,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 
Tishkaaga,  or  Little  Billy,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 
Tywaneasb,  or  Black  Snake,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 
Kahalsta,  or  Strong,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 
Chequinduchque,  or  Little  Beard,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 
Tuyongo,  or  Seneka  White,  his  X  mark   (L.  S.) 
Onondaki,  or  Destroy  Town,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 
Lunuchshewa,  or  War  Chief,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 
Genuchsckada,  or  Stevenson,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 
Mary  Jamieson,  her  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 
Talwinaha,  or  Little  Johnson,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 
Atachsagu,  or  John  Big  Tree,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 
Teskaiy,  or  John  Pierce,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 
Teaslaegee,  or  Charles  Cornplanter,  his  X  m.  (L.  S.) 
Teoncukaweh,  or  Bob  Stevens,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 
Checanadughtwo,  or  Little  Beard,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 
Canada,  his  X  mark,  (L.  S.) 
Sealed  and  delivered  in  the  presence  of 

Nat.  W.  Howell,  Jasper  Parrish, 

Ch.  Carroll,  Horatio  Jones. 

Done  at  a  treaty  held  with  the  sachems,  chiefs,  and  warriors  of  the 
Seneka  nation  of  Indians  at  Moscow,  in  the  County  of  Livingston 
and  State  of  New  York,  on  the  third  day  of  September,  one  thous- 
and eight  hundred  and  twenty-three,  under  the  authority  of  the 
United  States.    In  testimony  whereof,   I  have  hereunto  set  my 
hand  and  seal,  the  day  and  year  aforesaid,  by  virtue  of  a  commis- 
sion issued  under  the  seal  of  the  commonwealth  of  Massachusetts, 
bearing  date  the  31st  day  of  August,  A.  D.,  1815,  pursuant  to  a 
resolution  of  the  legislature  of  the  said  commonwealth,  passed 
the  eleventh  day  of  March,  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  nine- 
ty-one. N.  Gorman,  Superintendent. 
I  have  attended  a  treaty  of  the  Seneka  nation  of  Indians  held  at 
Moscow  in  the  County  of  Livingston  and  State  of  New  York,   on  the 
third  day  of  September,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  twenty-three,   when  the  within  instrument  was  duly 
executed  in  my  presence,  by  the  sachems,  chiefs,  and  warriors  of  the 
said  nation,  being  fairly  and  properly  understood  and  transacted  by  all 
the  parties  of  Indians  concerned,  and  declared  to  be  done  to  their  full 
satisfaction.    I  do  therefore  certify  and  approve  the  same. 

Ch.  Carroll,  Commissioner. 


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